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niumgiapiiic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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'^'U"^"      K^Vif 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

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CIHIVi/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


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o 


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Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pelliculie 


I — I    Cover  title  missing/ 


0 


La  titra  de  couverture  manque 


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Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  tharv  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
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Relii  avec  d'aut:es  documents 


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n 


Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrie  peut  causer  de  i'ombre  ou  da  la 
distorsion  le  long  da  !a  margtt  int^rieura 

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Pages  restauries  et/ou  pellicuiies 

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The) 
toth 


Thai 
poss 
of  th 
film! 


Crigi 
begii 
thai 
sion, 
othe 
first 
sion, 
or  ill 


I      I    Pages  detached/ 


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Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


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Les  pages  totalement  ou  partieilement 
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etc.,  ont  iti  filmAes  i  nouveau  de  fapon  i 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


The 
shall 
TINl 
whi( 

Map 
diffe 
entii 
begi 
righi 
requ 
metl 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

1 

y 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

tails 

du 
3difier 

une 
Tiage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

l^ational  Library  cf  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
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Crigina!  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
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sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  orit^'inal  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


L'exemplaire  filmd  fut  reproduit  grfice  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Bibliothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6x6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compto  tenu  de  la  condi  Jon  et 
de  la  nettetd  do  l'exemplaire  filmd,  et  en 
conformitd  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

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dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
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d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
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TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

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beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  man\  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifce  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tsbleau)?.  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  rdduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  6  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  6  droite, 
et  de  haut  an  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcdssaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
I'lustrent  la  mdthode. 


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I'OKTHAIT   OK    CAPT.    SAM.E,.    VHEHTKH    UEW 
I'>o,n  the  ceiehrate,!  ,.ai>,ti.,«  l.y  Jarvis,  mr,. 


THB3 


HISTORY  OF  THE  WONDERFUL  BATTLE 


OF  TIIK 


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WITH  A  BRITISH  SQUADKON, 

AT  FAYAL,   1814. 

THE  FAMOUS  GUN,  LONG  TOM. 

SK£TCn   OF   TIIK    LIFE   OF 

CAPTAIN   SAMUEL  CHESTER  REID, 

CO.MMA\UEa  OF  THE  ARMSTRON'G,  WHO  DESIGNED  THE  PRESENT  FLAG 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  IN  1818.      HISTORY  OF  THE 

FLAG.     INTERESTING  INCIDENTS,  ETC. 


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BOSTOX,  MASS.: 

L.  BARTA  &  CO.,  PRINTERS. 

189.3. 


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Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1893,  by 

SAM  C.  JJEID. 

in  the  office  of  tlie  Librariuu  of  Congress  at  Wasliiugton  City,  D.  C. 


¥ 


DEDICATION, 


In  gratitude  for  the  patriotic  services  of  that  distinguisherl, 
brave,  and  accomplished  United  States  naval  ollicer,  COMMO- 
DORE Richard  W.  Meade,  in  aiding  to  commemorate  the 
gallant  deeds  C)f  my  father  in  defence  of  the  honor  of  his 
country's  flag,  the  pages  of  this  pamphle*^^  are  specially 
dedicated. 

And,  generally,  to  the  magnanimous  People  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  in  appreciation  of  their  noble, 
generous  sentiments  in  never  failing  to  recognize  the  heroic 
valor  of  their  countrymen 

SAM  C.  REID. 

Wasuington  City,  D.  C,  Fourth  of  July,  1803. 


If  '. 


PREFACE. 


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TfTE  (lesigrn  of  the  i)ul)licatlou  of  tl 


cuio   by  itH  sale  a  fund   for  tl 


lis  pamphlet  is  to  pn 


Ca[)itul,    of    ji    inoiuunciital    statue    of    C 


10  erection,  at   the  National 


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APTAIN    SaMUKL 


.HiWTKR  Hew,  tne  gallant  conunander  -.f  the  private-armed 
brig-of-vvar  (Jeneral  Armstrong,  in  commemoration  of  his 
lieioie  valor  and  distinguished  services  to  his  country 

The  people  of  the  United  States  generally  ill  thus  be 
enabled  to  contribute  to  this  patriotic  and  praiseworthy 
object.  •' 

Thi;  pamphlet  gives  the  historic  details  of  one  of  the  most 
wondertul  and  extraordinary  naval  battles  ever  fought  on  the 
seas,  with  uiteresting  incidents   never  before  published.     It 
outlines  the  policy  of  Great  Britain  in  its  efforts  to  gain  from 
trance  the  possession  of  the  Province  of  Louisiana  and  the 
Mississippi  River ;  the  causes  which  led  to  the  War  of  1 81"  • 
tlie  gigantic  scheme  of  England  for  the  conquest  of  New 
Orleans,  Louisiana,  and  Mexico,  and  the  circumstances  which 
led  to  it«  defeat;  speculations  as  to  the  Treaty  of  Giient  • 
a  sketch  of  the  biography   and  genealogy  of  Captain  Keid 
and   his   services;    vindication    of    our   merchant    marine; 
tribute  of  Senators  Voorhees  ,.nd  Evarts ;  letter  of  Governor 
Shelby:  history  of  ''Long  Tom"  ;  oiigin  and  history  of  the 
^lag  o     the  United  States:    historical   connection  between 
Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Cochrane  and  Captain  Reid ;  the  song 
ot  the  General  Armstrong;  the  romance  of  the  celebrated 
case   of   the  Armstrong ;    and   the   poem  of   James  Jeffrey 
Roche  on  "  The  fight  of  the  Armstrong  privateer." 


I.KTTER  FROM  TFIK    SE(RI:TAUV  OF    IIIE  NAVY. 

Tlu'  followiiifr  extmct  of  a  letter  iiom  JIoii.  Ililiiry  A. 
Flerhert,  Secretary  of  the  I'liited  States  Navy,  in  lela.iou  to 
thi!  sale  of  this  ])aiiiphh't,  in  oider  to  procure  a  fuiul  for  the 
erection  of  a  moimineiital  statue  of  C^aptain  Sanuiel  Chester 
Keid,  at  Wa.  ■  Mi^rtou  City,  expresses  the  ai>piobation  of  the 
Navy  Department  for  this  project. 


NAVY    DEPARTMENT. 

WASHiNdTiDN,  .July  15,  1898. 
Mu.  Sam  C.  Rini),  Washingcon,  D.  C. 

Dear  Sllt:  — .  .  .  I  think  tlie  pur[)ose  you  have  in  view, 
namely,  the  raising  of  money  for  the  purpose  of  buildintr  a 
monument  to  your  gallant  fathei-,  is  patriotic  and  noble.  .  .  . 

Yours  respe(!tfully, 

[signed]  HILARY    A.  HERBERT. 


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EX  H  J  HITS 


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UNITED  STATES  NAYY  DEPARTMENT. 


The  following  are  among  tl.e  exhil.its  of  the  United  States 
JVavy  Depai'tnient  on  hoard  of  tlie  Model  Battle  Ship 
Illinois,  and  are  thus  nu'utioned  in  the  Catalogue  of  the 
Exhibits  of  the  United  States  Navy  Department 
World's  Columrian  Exposition,  1803,  as  compiled  by 
Lieutenant  II.  C.  PoundsCone,  United  States  Navy  : 

No.  9511.  Portrait  of  Captain  Samuel  Chester  Reid. 
Tliis  officer  was  horn  in  1783,  and  died  in  18G1  ;  served 
as  acting  midshipman  in  the  West  India  squadron  ;  com- 
man.led  tJie  private-armed  hrig  General  Armstroncr,  during 
the  War  of  1812,  and  fought  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
naval  battles  on  record,  at  Fay.  \  one  of  the  Azore  Islands, 
111  1814  ;  he  designed  the  present  form  of  the  flao-  of  tlie 
I  nited  States,  as  adopted  by  Congress  in  1818.  "captain 
Keid  was  appointe.l  a  sailing  master  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  wlucli  position  he  lidd  till  his  dtath. 


X(^ 


Ao.    9;)li'.     The   Sword  of  Captain  Samuel  Che 


Keid 


STEE 


This  is  the  battle  sabre  of  Captain  Reid  wliich  was  wielded 
with  such  heroic  prowess  during  the  engagement  with  the 
enemy. 


EXHIIUTS    OF   THE    U.    S.    NAVY   DEPAI'.TMENT.  7 

No.  9513.     Long  To^r,  a  Forty-two  Pouxdeh. 

One  of  the  guns  of  tlie  famous  pi'ivat6?-anne(l  brig-of-war 
General  Armstrong,  coniinandecl  by  Captain  Samuel  Chester 
lie  id. 

The  remarkable  heroism  of  Captain  Keid  and  his  ol'ticers 
and  men  is  conspicuous  in  the  history  of  our  country.  In  a 
conflict  with  a  British  squadi'on,  mounting  one  hundred  and 
thirty-six  guns  and  over  two  thousand  men,  this  gun  did  such 
admirable  execution  that  the  Britisli  lost  over  three  hundred 
men  and  officers,  killed  and  wounded.  The  Armstrong 
ciu-ried  only  seven  guns  and  ninety  men,  and  lost  but  two 
killed  and  seven  v.ounded. 

The  battle  took  i)lace  at  Fayal,  one  of  the  Azore  Islands, 
on  the  niglit  of  the  twenty-sixth  and  twenty-seventh  of 
September,  1814.  The  disabling  of  the  squadron,  which  was 
a  part  of  tlie  expedition  against  New  Orleans,  so  delayed 
Cochrane's  fleet  at  Jamaica  that  it  saved  Louisiana  from 
Biitish  conquest. 

No.   9ol4.     FicruE-IlEAD  of  the  Pi:ivate-ai;med  Bpjg 
General  AitMSTitoxo. 

This  is  a  quaint  and  curious  looking  specimen  of  the  ship 
carver's  art  of  other  days,  which  has  now  nearly  gone  out  of 
existence.  Its  fantastic  coloring  is  still  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation.  It  was  saved  by  the  crew  of  the  Armstrong 
after  slie  was  scuttled  on  the  beach  to  prevent  her  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and  years  afterwards  was  presented 
to  tlie  Nav.al  Institute,  at  the  Boston  Navy  Yard,  by  Mr. 
Dabney,  the  L'nited  States  Consul  at  Fayal. 


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THE   WONDERFUL  BATTLE 


OF   THE 


BRIG   GEiNERAL  ARMSTRONG 


British  Squadron,  at  Fayal,  1814. 


The  wonderful  battle  between  the  United  States  private- 
armed  brig-of-war  General  Armstrong,  and  a  British  squad- 
ron, was  fought  in  the  waters  of  Fayal,  one  of  the  Azore  or 
Western  islands,  on  the  twenty-sixtli  and  twenty-seventh  of 
Septembei',  1814. 

The  Armstrong  was  a  small  brigantine,  of  only  two  hun- 
dred and  forty -six  tons,  and  mounted  six  long  nines  with  a 
forty-two  pounder,  "  I^mg  Tom,"  on  a  pivot  amidships.  Her 
crew  consisted  of  ninety  men,  including  officers.  She  was 
commanded  by  Captain  Samuel  Chester  Heid. 

Tlie  British  squadron  was  composed  of  the  ship-of-the-line 
Plantagenet,  of  seventy-four  guns  ;  tlie  frigate  Rota,  of  forty- 
four  guns  ;  and  the  brig-of-war  Carnation,  of  eio-hteen  o-uns. 
With  a  total  force  of  one  hundred  and  thiity-six  guns,  and 
over  two  thousand  me;:  under  the  command  of  Commodore 
Kobert  Lloyd.  Considering  the  forces  engaged,  the  Battle  of 
Fayal  was  the  most  desperate,  bloody,  heroic,  and  romantic 
naval  fight  that  ever  occurred  on  the  seas.  That  the  reader 
may  more  fully  comprehend  the  exti'aordinary  results  of  this 
remarkable  conflict,  as  affecting  the  destinies  of  botli  Eng- 
land and  America  at  that  time,  it  will  be  necessary,  before 


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10 


GREAT   BRITAIN'S    POLICY. 


h-  ■      1 


describing  the  battle,  to  outline  what  was  then  England's 
[jolicy  and  object  in  regard  to  America. 

Great  Britain  had  conqueied  the  Canadas  from  France  in 
17  (JO,  and  had  for  long  years  endenvored  to  obtain  the  pos- 
session of  the  province  of  Louisiana  and  the  control  of  the 
Mississippi  River.  France,  aware  of  England's  designs,  made 
a  secret  treaty  with  Spain,  in  17G3,  and  turned  over  tlie 
Province  to  the  Spanish  authorities,  with  the  agreement  that 
Spain  should  make  a  retrocession  whenever  called  for.  Aftei- 
a  period  of  nearly  four  decades,  Spain  made  a  recession  of 
Louisiana,  in  1801,  back  to  France,  and  in  view  of  the  war 
with  England,  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  on  the  tliirtieth  of  April, 
1803,  sold  and  ceded  the  province  of  Louisiana  to  the  United 
States  for  the  small  sum  of  about  fifteen  millions,  a  vast  terri- 
tory now  consisting  of  fifteen  States  of  this  Union.  On  the 
twentieth  of  December,  1803,  the  tri-colored  tiag  was  hauled 
down  at  New  Orleans,  and  replaced  by  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
Thus  were  the  cherished  hopes  of  England  again  foiled. 

From  this  period,  pending  the  war  between  England  and 
France,  up  to  1808  and  1809,  the  British  navy  was  "mis- 
tress of  the  seas,"  having  over  nine  liundred  ships  of  war. 
Her  unscrupulous  commanders  did  not  hesitate  to  commit 
the  most  atrocious  and  flagrant  acts  by  violating  the  neutra- 
lity of  any  nation  to  subserve  their  ends. 

In  1804,  the  British  frigate  Cambiian,  Captain  Bradley, 
entered  the  hai'bor  of  New  York,  witli  other  cruisers,  seized 
one  of  our  merchant  vessels,  just  ari'ived,  and  impressed  and 
carried  off  a  number  of  her  seamen  and  passengers.  In 
1806,  three  British  ships  of  war  boarded  and  buined  the 
French  ship  Impetueux  of  seventy-four  guns,  which  had  run 
aground  on  the  coast  of  North  Carolina,  a  few  hundred  yaixls 
from  the  shore.  Our  coasting  vessels  were  frequently  fired 
into,  and  in  some  instances  some  of  the  crew  killed.  The 
notorious   Captain    Douglas,  of   the  Leopard,  subsequently, 


CAUSE   OF   THE   WAR    OF   1812. 


11 


actually  blockaded  the  [)oi-t  of  Norfolk,  obstructed  our  citi- 
zens in  the\i'  oidinary  comiiiuuicatiou  between  that  and  other 
places,  and  in  fact  besieged  the  town  on  the  land  side.  For 
all  these  hostile  acts  of  violence  and  outrage  on  our  com- 
merce and  coast,  these  insults  to  our  national  sovereignty, 
in  violation  of  the  laws  of  neutrality,  England  insolently 
refused  to  give  any  satisfaction  or  make  any  repaiation  or 
apology.  Finally,  these  outrages  culminated  in  1807,  by 
the  infamous  attack  of  his  Britannic  majesty's  ship  Leopard 
on  the  American  frigate  Chesapeake,  off  the  capes  of 
\  irginia,  which,  after  five  years  of  diplomatic  negotiation,  tle- 
termined  Congress  to  declare  war  against  England  on  the 
fourth  of  June,1812,  under  the  administration  of  Mr.  Madison. 

In  March,  1814,  the  allied  armies  entered  Paris.  Napoleon 
had  abdicated  the  throne  of  France,  and  was  secluded  in  the 
isle  of  Elba.  The  dove,  with  its  olive  branch,  had  spread  its 
Avings  over  Europe,  holding  out  a  lasting  peace.  Tlie  vast 
fleets  of  England  that  had  blockaded  the  European  coasts, 
and  the  veterans  of  her  armies,  were  now  free  to  strike  a 
crushing  and  fatal  blow  at  America's  cost  and  humiliation. 

At  last  the  o[)portunity  had  arrived  for  England  to  achieve 
her  long  wished  for  desire  for  the  conquest  of  Louisiana. 
For  this  purpose,  one  of  the  boldest  and  grandest  schemes 
was  devised  and  planned  by  England's  prime  minister,  the 
wily  strategist.  Lord  Castlereagh,  in  whose  hands  was  then 
couHded  the  policy  of  the  British  Government,  the  young 
Prince  of  Wales  reigning  at  that  time  as  Prince  Regent  in 
place  of  his  father,  George  IIL,  who,  being  mentally  infirm, 
had  been  de[)osed  in  February,  1811. 

A  gigantic  expedition  was  arranged  by  which  Negril  Bay, 
in  the  West  Indian  island  of  Jamaica,  was  made  the  ren- 
dezvous for  concentrating  the  transports  and  troo[)-ships  of 
Generals  Keane  and  Packenham,  with  Wellington's  veterans, 
t'^erc    to    await    reinforcements    of     the    immense    fleet   of 


n 


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12 


ENGLAND'S   SCHEME   TO   GAIN    LOUISIANA. 


England's  navy,  under  command  of  Admiral  Cochrane, 
which  was  to  control  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  'J1ie  great  scheme 
was  to  carry  New  Oileans  by  surprise  before  anv  defencr 
could  I)e  made  by  any  large  body  of  troops,  and"  with  tiie 
Mississippi  Kiver  and  its  coast  once  in  their  jjossession,  to 
seize  the  country  along  the  Kio  Grande,  and  all  west  to  the 
Kocky  Mountains  and  the  coast  of  California.  ''The 
greatest  secrecy  was  maintained  as  to  the  ultimate  object  of 
the  expedition,"  says  an  English  writer,  in  attributing  the 
failure  of  the  expidition  to  the  delay  of  Commodore  Lhiyd'-s 
S(|uadron,  which  formed  a  part  of  the  fleet. 

To  delude  and  deceive  our  Government,  and  draw  its 
attention  away  from  the  contemplated  ew'  mi  view,  a  demon- 
stration was  Hi-st  made  by  a  part  of  Cochrane's  fleet,  which 
entered  the  Chesapeake  with  about  sixty  sail,  and  finding 
no  obstacle  to  imi)ede  its  progies*^,  proccicded  up  the  Potomac 
and  burned  Washington,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  August, 
1814.  A  further  demonstration  was  made  against  Balti- 
more, all  for  the  purpose  of  concealing  the  real  design  of  the 
expedition  for  the  conquest  of  Louisiana.  Intlated^ith  the 
pride  of  his  unexpected  vandal  victory,  though  at  a  severe 
cost,  Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Cochrane  set  sail  on  the  sixth  of 
October,  for  Jamaica,  giving  out  that  his  destination  was 
Halifax,  while  our  Government  was  led  to  fear  an  attack  on 
New  York. 

So  sure  was  England  of  the  triumi)liant  success  of  this 
brilliant  and  magnificent  enter])rise,  that  Lord  Castlereagh. 
who  was  banqueting  in  Paris  at  the  time  the  news  of  the 
burning  of  Washington  was  received,  exultingly  and  openly 
boasted  that  it  would  not  be  long  before  Louisiana  and  thi 
Mississipi)i  Kiver  would  become  the  conquered  province  of 
Great  Biitain  !  But  little  did  England's  great  prime  minis- 
ter dream,  while  then  sipping  his  wine,  with  an  exti'a  f/oilt  of 
exalted  triumph,  that  his  great  scheme  on  the  chess'ooard  of 


VINDICATION    OF   OUU    MKltCHANT   MAUINE. 


13 


Avar  would  he  checkmated,  and  the  little  hiig  General  Arm- 
strong, like  an  unseen  spectre,  would  dash  from  his  lips  the 
goblet  of  all  his  anticipations  of  the  successful  con(iueror! 
Nor  could  it  then  he  foretold  that  the  Battle  of  Fayal  would 
not  only  decide  the  fate  of  both  England  and  the  United 
States  in  this  war,  but  the  hand  of  Destiny  would  save  the 
latter  from  inconceivable  im[)ending  calamities,  as  well  as 
avenge  the  burning  of  tlie  capital  by  a  fearful  retribution ! 

During  the  time  when  the  British  General  Ross,  with  his 
six  thousand  veteran  soldiei's  from  the  troop-ships  of 
Cochrane's  fleet,  was  burning  and  pillaging  the  American 
capital,  for  which  he  afterwards  i)aid  the  penalty  of  his  life 
in  his  demonstration  against  Baltimore,  the  "saucy"  little 
brig  General  Armstrong  was  being  reiitted  in  the  port  of 
New  York  for  her  fifth  cruise  against  the  enemy.  She  was  a 
beautiful  model,  and  had  been  schooner  rigged,  but  Captain 
Reid,  on  being  induced  to  take  command  of  her,  changed  her 
rig  into  a  l)rigantine,  which  made  her  one  of  the  fastest  ves- 
sels on  the  seas.  She  had  a  superior  armament  for  boarding 
or  resisting  attack,  witli  steel-stra[)ped  helmets  for  the  men. 
She  had  a  picked  crew  of  experienced  fighting  sailors,  all 
Americans,  and  among  the  marines  were  a  number  of  Ken- 
tuckians. 

It  is  but  justice  to  the  American  sailor  here  to  state  that 
the  services  and  triumphs  of  our  privateers  during  the  war 
of  1812  have  rarely  been  fully  appreciated,  and  never  were 
ranked  or  recognized  Avith  those  of  our  regular  navy.  They 
have  been  universally  ignored  in  our  school  histories,  and  in 
many  so-called  histories  of  the  United  States.  In  fact,  our 
private-armed  vessels  of  war,  called  privateers,  and  reproach- 
fully classed  by  some  as  "  f reebootei-s  of  the  seas,"  were  in 
every  respect  on  a  par  with  the  vessels  of  our  regular  navy. 
The  only  difference  was  that  the  one  were  built,  owned,  and 
equipped  by  our  merchants,  while    the    others  were  built, 


in 

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14 


VINDICATION    OF   OUU    MERCHANT   MARINE. 


owned,  and  equipped  by  the  Government.  Tlie  ottieei's  of 
tlie  piivateers  were  euniniissioned  by  tlie  President,  just  tlie 
simie  as  our  naval  ollieers.  'I'liey  were  under  the  sanie  ruk's 
and  reguhitions  as  the  reguhir  navy,  and  subject  to  tlie  orders 
and  instructions  of  the  Secretary  of  War  (then  (Jeneral  .John 
Armstrong,  after  whom  the  famous  hng  was  named),  there 
being  no  Secretary  of  the  Navy  at  tiiat  time.  These  priva- 
teei's  not  only  engaged  tiie  enemy  in  many  a  desperate  battle, 
during  the  war  of  1812,  but  swept  the  commerce  of  England 
from  the  ocean. 

A  distinguished  oilicer  of  the  United  States  Navy  lias 
magnanimously  and  most  truthfully  said,  ^'The  long  delayed, 
tardy  justice  to  the  volunteer  or  mercliant  sailor  element  of 
tliis  country,  which  has  taken  a  tremendous  part  in  all  our 
maritime  wars,  should  no  longer  fail  to  be  recognized.  For 
indeed  it  was  the  element  from  which  our  Kevolutionarv 
Navy  was  entireli/  recruited,  and  which  has  since  added  so 
nuich  glory  to  our  national  prowess." 

Tlie  Armstrong  lay  off    the  Battery,  at   New  York,  the 
admiration   of   the   citizens,  awaiting  a  chance   to  run    the 
blockade  of  British  war-ships  off  Sandy  Hook.     The  disci- 
pline of  her  crew   was  perfect,  and  her  commander,  while 
severely  exacting,  treated  his  men  with  great  kindness  and 
consideration,  which  greatly  endeared  him  to  the  crew.     On 
the  night  of  the  ninth  of  September,  1814,  just  two  little 
weeks  after  the  burning  of  Washington,  wind  and  tide  suit- 
ing, the  Armstrong  got  under  weigh  with  her  great  spread  of 
canvas  and  a  ten-knot  breeze.     At  midnight  she  ran  close 
aboard  of  an  English  i-azee  and  ship-of-the-line,  and  as  she 
flew  past  the  ''mudscows,"  as  the  crew  called  the  Ci^iUisy 
Britishers,  she  was  soon  out  of  range  of  their  guns,  and  the 
enemy  gave  up  the  chase  in  the  attempted  pursuit. 


4    of 

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ii  "5 


TIIK    IIATTLK   OK    I'AVAL. 


THE   BATTLE  OF   FAYAL. 


lo 


At  noun,  on  tlio  twoiity-sixth  day  of  September,  just  ti 
(lays  before  A(biiiral  Coebrane  saiU-d  from  Uii;  Cliesapeake, 
tbe  Annstrontr  made  tbe  isbuid  of  Fayal,  and  ran  into  tbe 
bay  of  tb(!  town  of  Da  Ilorta,  to  relill  witb  water.     Fayal  is 
one  of  tlie  ^ronp  of  tlie  A/.ore  or  Western  islands,  belonging 
to  tbe  kingdom  of  Portngal,  and  lies  nearly  midway  between 
tbe  coast  of  Portugal  and  America.     Tlie  sbore  of  tbe  bay 
is  crescent  sbaped,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  bigli  sea-wall,  in 
tbe  centre  of  wbieh  lies  tbe  castle  of  Santa  Cru/.     0|)posity, 
to  tbe  eastward,  lies  tbe    island    of  I'ieo,  only    four    miles 
distant,  witb  its  volcanic  mountain  rising  seventy-six  hun- 
dred   feet   bigb.     It    was    in  tins  U\y  of  Da  Ilorta  of  tbe 
island  of  Fayal.  surrounded  by  tbe  most  romantic  scenery, 
tbat  tbe  battle  took  place.     Ca[)tain   lleid  liad  gone  asbore 
to  make  arrangenn^nts  witb  tbe  American  consul,  xMr.  .lolni 
H.   Dabney,  for  a  snpi)ly  of  fresb  water,  and  bad  accepted 
the  hospitality  of  tbat  patriotic  gentleman  of  the  old  school, 
to  dine  with  him.     In  making  inrpiiry  about  tbe    enemy's 
cruisers,  Captain   Reid   was   informed  by  Mr.    Dabney  that 
none  bad   visited   those  islands  for  several   weeks.     About 
6   p.  M.  Captain  Reid  leturned  aboard   his   vessel   with   tbe 
consul    and   several   gentlemen   in    company.     While    they 
were  conversing,  it  being  nearly  sundown,  tbe  British  brig- 
of-war    Carnation  suddenly  hove  in  sight  close    under  the 
northeast    headland  of    the  harbor,  and  entering  the   bay 
anchored  within    half    a  cable's  length  of    the    Armstrong. 
Soon  after  the  frigate  Rosa  and  ship-of-tbe-line   Plantagenet 
followed,  and  came  to  anchor  in  tbe   roads,  tbe  squadron 
being  on  its  way  t'    join  Cochrane's  fleet  at  Jamaica. 

Commodore  Lloyd,  wlio  commanded   the   squadron,  had 
previously  been  informed  by  ,:>t  out  at  sea  tbat  the 

Armstrong  was  in  tbe  harbc      v.ic  \e  at  once    determined 


L     L 

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THK   UATTLE   OF   FAYAL. 


In  ■ 


npnn  her  Ciiplare.     Thy  hi%  Carnation  inimetliacely  Injgan 
Hi,«,Mializing  with  the  fleet,  threw  out  four  hirge  hiunehes  or 
hi.atH,  and  commenced  passing  arms  into  them.     All  these 
movements  could  be  seen,  and  the  orders  given  were  distinctly 
heard  on  board  the  Armstrong.     At  the  same  time  the  British 
biig  made  every  preparation  to  inttrcept  the  ja-ivateer  should 
she  attemi)t  to  escape.     Although  Captain  Keid  had    been 
assured  of  the  perfect  safety  of  his  vessel  by  the  American 
consul,  Ixjing  in  a  neutral  port,  he.  now  felt  certain,   from 
the  man(.'uvr(!s  of  the  fleet  and  the  prei)aration8  going  on,  that 
thei-e  would  be  trouble,  and  he  accordingly  told  the  gentle- 
men that  they  had  better  go  on  shore.     After  their  departure 
a  council  was  held  among  the  oflicers  of  the  Armstrong,  and 
it  was  flrst  suggested  that  they  should  make  an  effort  to  get 
out  to  sea ;  but  the  wind  lieing  very  light,  it  was  determined 
to  haul  close  in  under  the  guns'  of  the  castle  for  protection. 
Captain  Reid  inmiediately  gave  secret  orders  to  clear  the 
deck    for  action,  and  cautioned  the  crew  to  make  as  little 
noise  as  possible.     He  then  cut  his  cable,  got  out  sweeps  and 
commenced  i  ulling  in  shore  to  the  castle.     The  Carnation 
iiumediately  dropped  her  topsails  and  made  sail,  to  prevent 
the  privateer  from  going  out  of  the  harbor  si  ould  she  attempt 
it,  while  the  boats,  which  were  lying  alo;;gside,  were  ordered 
in  chase  of  the  Armstrong.     It  was  now  about  eight  o'clock 
in  the   evening.     The    moon,  which  was  near  its  full,  was 
gradually  lising,  and   silver-sprinkling   with  its  beams    the 
beautiful  bay,  the  hills  of  Da  Horta,  and  Mount  Pico,  while 
not  a  ripple  broke  the  stillness  of  th;  -littering  surface,  save 
the  splash  of  the  oars  of  the  four  large  liiunones,  well  trr.ied, 
carrying  about  forty  men  each,  which  were  pulling  swiftly 
towards  the   privateer.      Captain  Reid  immediately  ceased 
pulling  towards  the  shore,  let  go  an  anchor,  and  got  springs 
on  his  cable  so  as  to  bring  the  vessel  broadside  to  the  enemy. 
At  this  tmie  one  of  the  large  launches,  which  was  consid- 


THK   BATTLE   OF    FAYAL  ;    FUIST   ATTACt 


17 


erably  in  tho  advuuco,  i)ulled  up  under  the  stern  of  the  Arm- 
strong, wl'.eu  Captain  Keid,  with  speaking-trumpet  in  hand, 
hvAUg  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  and  all  hands  at  (p'arters,  hailed 
the  boat  three  times.  No  answer  was  returned  except  hy 
one  of  the  sailors,  who  asked  in  a  jrrutt'  voiee  wliat  was  the 
matter.  Tiie  ollieer  replied:  ''Make  no  answer,  sir;  pull 
away,  my  lads,"  and  the  next  moment  the  word  was  given 
to  "toss  oars,"  and  with  their  boat-hooks  they  hauled  along- 
side under  the  port  (piarter  of  the  privateer.  The  ollieer  in 
the  boat  then  eried  out :  "  Fire  and  board,  my  lads,"  and  as  the 
men  rose  from  their  seats,  ('ai)tain  Keid  instantly  gave  the 
word  to  his  marines  to  lire,  which  was  almost  simultaneous 
on  the  part  of  both.  One  man  on  board  the  privateer  was 
instantly  killed,  and  the  tirst  lieutenant,  Fred.  A.  Worth,  n 
brother  of  the  late  General  Worth,  of  the  United  States  Army, 
was  wounded.  Tho  men  in  the  boat  were  severely  cut  up, 
and  they  cried  out  for  quarter,  while  the  other  three  boats, 
l)ulling  u[)  at  full  si)eed  on  the  starboard  side,  inunediately 
oi)eued  their  lire.  They  were  received  with  a  full  broadside 
of  grape  and  canister,  which  was  followed  by  the  shrieks 
and  groans  of  the  woiuuled  and  dying.  A  lierce  struggle 
now  ensued,  in  which  the  enemy  made  a  desperate  attempt 
to  board  ;  but  staggered  and  appalled  by  the  galling  lire  of 
the  privateer,  they  cried  out  for  (quarter,  and  the  boats  pulled 
off  in  a  sinking  condition  with  great  loss,  Captain  Keid 
refusing  to  take  them  prisoners. 

The  General  Armstrong  then  weighed  anchor  and  pulled 
in  toward  the  shore,  about  half-pistol  shot  from  the  castle, 
where  she  was  moored  head  and  stern  near  the  beach,  with 
her  port  side  next  to  the  shore.  The  Carnation,  in  the 
meanwhile,  sailed  down  to  the  fleet,  and  it  was  soon  evident 
that  they  had  determined  on  a  more  formidable  attack.  Tlie 
American  consul  at  this  time  had  written  a  note  to  the 
Portuguese  Governor,  demanding  protection  for  the  privateer, 


[h 


18 


THE    BATTLK   OV    FAYAL. 


u  ■ 


but  the  Governor  simply  de.s[)atched  a  note  to  Admiral  Lloyd, 
requesting  him  to  ahstain  from  further  hostilities.  To  this 
note  Lloyd  replied  that,  as  the  Americans  had  (irst  fired  into 
one  of  their  boats  without  any  provocation,  he  now  deter- 
mined to  take  the  privateer  at  all  hazards,  and,  if  protection 
were  aft'orded  her,  he  would  lire  into  the  town. 

About  0  P.  M.,  the  wind  having  breezed  U'\  the  enemy's 
brig  was  observed  standing  in  with  a  large  fleet  of  boats  in 
tow,  luimbering  fourteen,  and  carrying  between  forty  and 
fifty  men  each,  armed  with  cari'onades,  swivels,  blunder- 
busses and  musketry,  making  an  aggregate  foice  of  at  least 
five  hundred  and  sixty  men.  When  within  gunshot,  the 
boats  cast  off  from  the  brig,  and  took  their  stations  in  three 
divisions  under  cover  of  a  small  reef  or  island  of  rocks,  within 
musket-shot  of  the  privateer.  The  biig  kept  under  way  to 
act  witli  the  boats  in  case  the  privateer  attempted  to  esca[)e. 
In  the  meantime  terror  and  consternation  had  spread  through 
the  town.  The  windows  of  the  houses  nearest  thi,  scene 
were  filled  with  women,  and  the  sea-walls  were  crowded 
with  the  inhabitants,  awaiting  with  intense  excitement  and 
breathless  expectation  the  coming  attack.  There  lay  the 
American  brig  with  her  tall,  ta[)ering  spars,  sleeping  on  the 
mooidit  waters  as  quiet  and  as  peaceful  as  an  over-wearied 
child.  There  she  lay,  like  the  ai)parition  of  a  phantom  ship  : 
not  a  movement  was  to  be  seen,  not  a  sound  was  heard  to 
break  the  stillness  of  her  decks,  and  seemingly  deserted,  from 
the  death-like  silence  which  prevailed.  Notwitl)staudiiig,  Cap- 
tain Keid  had  made  every  preparation  to  receive  the  enemy 
on  all  sides,  and  his  crew  were  then  lying  concealed  at  their 
quarters.  In  this  position  the  Ixdligerents  remained  for 
nearly  three  haul's,  watching  each  other  with  [)ainful  interest. 
When  it  is  considered  that  the  crew  of  the  Armstrong  had 
nothing  *  gain,  and  had  no  motive  for  remaining  by  their 
vessel  but  the  defence  of  their  country's  honor,  when  thej- 


mi 


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THE  BATTLE  OE  FAYAL  ;  MIDNIGHT  ATTACK. 


;9 


o 

r/j 


..'  s 


a 
o 

u 


saw  the  terrible  odds  that  opposed  them,  and  which  threat- 
ened a  fearful  retribution,  with  no  hope  of  reward  except 
death  for  the  defence  of  the  American  flag,  while  a  leap  to 
the  shore  held  out  to  them  the  inducement  of  safety,  it  is 
remarkable  that  they  stood  so  firm,  and  their  wonderful  dis- 
cipline and  courage  may  be  imagined. 

At  length,  at  midnight,  the  enemy  seemed  resolved  upon 
the  attack,  and  the  boats  were  observed  in  motion.     Instead 
of  approaching  l^y  divisions,  as  Captain  Keid  expected,  they 
came    on  in    solid    column    in  a  direct  line.     When  about 
twenty-live  yards  off.  Captain  Reid  ordered  his  men  \(^  stand 
by  after  the  fire,  to  run  in  the  guns  and  lash  in  the  ports,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  getting  through  the  port- 
holes on  boarding,  as  they  would  not  have  time  to  reload  the 
guns  before  the  enemy  would  be  alongside.     The  men  were 
then  cautioned  to  wait  for  the  word,  and  to  be  sure  of  their 
object.      The     Long    Tom,    a     lieavy    forty-two    pounder, 
pb'ced  on  a  pivot  amidshi[)s,  was  sighted  with  fearful  accu- 
racy.   On  came  the  Britisli  boats  with  undaunted  intrepidity, 
when  they  were  again  hailed  l)y  Captain  Reid,  but  no  answer 
was  returned.     The  fatal   command   was  then  given,  and  a 
tremendous  fire  was  opened  on  the  enemy,  the  thundt '  ana 
crash   of  which  broke   the  charmed  stillness  of   the   before 
(piiet   midnight   scene.     The    discharge   of  our    Long  Tom 
rather  staggered  them.     Reeling  back  and  recoiling  from  the 
missiles  of   death,  they  warmly  returned  the  fire,  remanned 
their  oars  and  giving  three  cheers,  came  on  most  spiritedly. 
The  crew  of  the  privateer  asked  if  they  should  return  the 
cheer?       "No,"  replied  Captain  Reid,    "no    cheering   until 
we  have  gained  a  victory."     In  a  moment  they  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  bow  and  starboard  quarter  of   the  Armstrong. 
Tlie  cry  of  the  officers  commanding  the  boats  was,  "  Uj)  and 
board,  my  lads  —  no  quarter  I  "     At  the  same  instant  they 
opened  a  terrific  lire  with  carronades,  swivels,  blunderbusses 


i.n 


1 1' 


\:A 


t:, 

ill 
\  < 

'  'M 
f  .' 

I  f 

I 
^  i  J 


I  '.I  I 

'  I, 


hi  1 


n 


s'iM:i:---jiUtsiEB 


■'  I 


■■,  '     ! 


20 


THE  BATTLE  OF  FAYAL  ;  MIDNIGHT  ATTACK. 


and  musketry.     They  were  gallantly  met  by  the  crew  of  the 
privateer  in  their  black  leather  boarding  caps,  strapped  with 
steel,    looking  like  demons,  with   board  iug-pikes,    muskets, 
battle-axes,  pistols  and  cutlasses.     The  vessel  soon  became 
one  broad  sheet  of  fire,  the  red  glare  of  which  strangely  con- 
trasted with  the  brilliant  light  of  the  moon,  now  riding  high 
in  mid-heaven.     Shrieks  and  yells,  orders  and  oaths,  amid  the 
clang  of   sabres,  were  heard  on  both  sides  through  the  din 
and  roar  of  the  musketry.     Again  and  again  the  enemy,  led 
by  their  officers,  attempted  to  gain  the  decks  of  the  privateer, 
but  were  repulsed  at  all  times  with  immense  loss.     The  battle 
now  raged  with  the  greatest  fury.     The  Americans  fought 
with   the   desperation   of   fiends.     Making  a  last   desperate 
effort  to  board,  the  enemy  gained  the  spritsail-yard  and  bow- 
sprit of  the  Armstrong,  and  were  pressing  their  way  to  her 
decks,  when  the  American  sailors,  wielding  their  battle-axes, 
sabres,  and  pikes  with  the  skill  and  might  of  knights  of  old, 
drove  back  England's  best  and   bravest   men    with   horrid 
slaufrhter.     The  second  lieutenant  of  the   Armstrong,   Mr. 
Alex.  O.  Williams,  was  killed  at  this  moment  while  gallantly 
leading  on  liis  forward  division ;    and  the  third  lieutenant, 
Mr.  Robert  Johnson,  also  fell  dangerously  wounded.     At  the 
same  instant  Captain  Reid,  who  commanded  the  after  divis- 
ion, was  engaged  beating  off  two  large  launches,  the  men 
and  officers  of  which  had  succeeded  in  climbing  up  the  sides 
of  the  privateer.     One  of  the  latter,  the  first  lieutenant  of 
the  Rota,  William  Matterface,  who  commanded  the  attack, 
had  engaged  Captain  Reid  in  a  hand-to-liand  fight  with  cut- 
lasses,   and   once   or   twice   came    near   overpowering   him. 
Captain    Reid,  being  left-handed,  used  his    right    in    firing 
pistols,  which  the  powder  boys  handed  him,  wliile  he  con- 
tinued to  fight  with  the  British  lieutenant  with  his  left  hantl, 
disdaining  to  shoot  down  his  brave  adversary.     At  last  the 
Bricish  lieutenant,  making  a  feint,  brought  down  a  desperate 


THE   BATTL?:   OF   FAYAL ;    MIDISIGHT   ATTACK. 


21 


blow,  which  Captain  Reid  had  just  time  to  break  the  force  of, 
cutting  the  cai)tain  sliglitly  across  tlie  head  and  nearly  sev- 
ering his  thumb  and  forefinger.  Before  the  Englishmen 
could  recover.  Captain  Reid  struck  him  down  and  he  fell 
back  a  corpse  into  the  boat. 

It  was  at  this  critical  juncture  that  Captain  Reid  was  in- 
formed of  the  death  of  his  second  lieutenant,  and  that  his 
third  lieutenant  was  badly  wounded.     Having  succeeded  in 
boating   the    boats  off   the  quarter,  and  thus  left  the  only 
officer  on  the  deck,  he  perceived  tliat  the  fire  liad  slackened 
on  the  forecastle.     At  once  rallying  the  wliole  of  the  after 
division,  they  ruslied  foi'ward  with  a  shout  and  opened  a  fresh 
fire,  while  he  ordered  the  forward  division  to  heave  cold  shot 
into  the  Ijoats  and  sink  them,  as  those  men  Avere  out  of  car- 
tridges.    The  enemy,  appalled  with  consternation  and  dismay, 
fell  back  to  their  l)oats  and  retreated,  when   Captain  Reid 
bringing  the  Long  Tom  to  bear  upon  them,  fired  the  gun 
himself  (which  Hew  off  the  carriage),  doing  fearful  destruc- 
tion, and  ending  in  the  total  defeat  of  the  British.     Then  it 
was  that  Captain  Reid  cried  out,  "  Now  is  the  time  to  cheer, 
my  boys,"  and  three  wild,  enthusiastic  cheers  re-echoed  over 
the    bay  from  shore  to  shore.     The    Americans  among  the 
crowd  on  the  sea-walls  hailed  the  Armstrong,  and  asked  if 
Captain  Reid  was  safe,  and,  being  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
gave  three  tremendous  cheers  in  return. 

The  scene  whicli  now  presented  itself  was  one  of  indescrib- 
able horror.  Tlie  silvered  waters  of  the  bay  were  crimsoned 
with  blood.  Dark  forms  of  numerous  dead  l)odies  floated 
around  on  every  side,  while  the  groans  and  death  shrieks 
of  the  wounded  struggling  ground  the  boats  pierced  the  very 
air.  Many  of  the  boats  had  been  sunk.  Two  large  launches 
belonging  to  the  frigate  Rota  lay  alongside  the  privateer, 
with  two  other  boats,  literally  loaded  with  their  own  dead. 
In  a  boat  belonging  to  the  Plantagenet  all  were  killed  save 


,  i 


r<i 


1 

1 

I 

}  \ 


A\ 


1    M 


m 


1  tj 


t  % 


1  * 

1  i 
t  ? 


oo 


THK   BATTLE    OF    FAVAL, 


.■;  I. 


four.  In  another  boat  which  had  contained  fifty  souls,  but 
one  solitary  officer  escaped,  and  he  was  wounded.  Four 
boats  floatt'd  ashore  full  of  dead  bodies.  Some  of  the  boats 
were  left  with  but  a  single  man,  while  others  had  but  three 
or  four  to  row  them.  The  termination  was  nearly  a  total 
massacre.  This  action  lasted  about  forty  minutes.  The 
English  force,  estimating  forty  men  to  a  boat,  was  about  five 
hundred  and  sixty  men.  The  English  themselves  acknowl- 
edged a  loss  in  this  attack  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  killed 
and  one  hundred  and  thirty  wounded,  but  it  must  have  been 
far  greater. 

The  deck  of  the  Armstrong,  which  was  in  great  confusion, 
and  slippery  with  human  gore,  was  now  cleared  up,  the  Long 
Tom  re-mounted,  and  preparations  made  for  a  fresh  action, 
should  the  enemy  again  attack  her.  About  this  time  Cap- 
tain Reid  received  the  following  note  from  the  American 
consul : — 

Captain  Reid, 

Dear  Sir  :  —  You  have  performed  a  most  brilliant  action 
in  beating  off  fourteen  boats  of  the  Rritish  ships  in  this  rou  i. 
They  say  they  will  carry  the  brig,  cost  what  it  will,  ar'i 
that  the  English  brig  will  haul  close  in  to  attack  you  at 
the  same  time  the  boats  do.  My  dear  fellow,  do  not  use. 
lessly  expose  yourself,  if  again*  attacked  by  an  overwhelming 
force,  but  scuttle  the  brig  near  the  beach  and  come  on  shore 
with  your  brave  crew. 

Yours  truly, 

J.  B.  Dabney. 

Two  o'clock  Tuesday  morning,  Sept.  27,  1814. 


This  note  was  brought  on  board  the  Armstrong  by  Charles 
W.  Dabney,  a  son  of  the  consul,  then  twenty  years  of  age, 
who  afterwards  succeeded  his  father. 


I5ATTLK   WITH   THE    BRIG   CARNATION. 


28 


Captain  Reid  then  went  on  sliore,  and  after  receiving  the 
congratulations  of  the  consul,  was  informed  that  the  Gover- 
nor liad  again  written  to  Commodore  Lloyd,  remonstrating 
against  any  further  attack,  hut  Lloyd  sent  for  answer  that 
he  was  determined  on  the  capture  of  the  privateer,  and  that 
if  the  Governor  suffered  the  Americans  to  injure  her  in  any 
mainier  he  should  consider  the  place  an  enemy's  port  and 
treat  it  accordingly.  Returning  on  board.  Captain  Reid 
gave  up  all  hope  of  saving  his  vessel,  but  determined  to 
defend  her  to  the  last.  He  accordingly  ordered  the  dead 
and  wounded  to  be  taken  on  shore,  and  prepared  for  the 
worst. 

At  daylight  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-seventh,  the  Car- 
nation was  observed  under  weigh,  and  stood  close  in  for  the 
privateer,  when  she  immediately  opened  a  heavy  fire  with  all 
her  force.  The  crew  of  the  Armstrong,  as  if  supernatural 
s[)irits,  or  liolding  cliarmed  lives,  still  grimly  stood  by  their 
little  bark,  returning  broadside  for  broadside  with  wonder- 
ful effect.  Long  Tom  doing  splendid  execution.  The 
maintopmast  of  the  Carnation  soon  fell  by  the  board,  and 
she  became  so  much  cut  up  in  her  hull  and  rigging,  and  with 
the  loss  of  men,  that  her  guns  became  silenced  and  she  was 
forced  to  retire.  It  was  a  sublime  spectacle,  that  of  the 
little  privateer,  with  but  a  handful  of  men,  fighting  a  hope- 
less battle  against  such  tremendous  odds,  in  vindication  of 
lier  rights  and  her  country's  honor,  with  her  colors  Hying  in 
reckless  defiance. 

Finding  all  further  resistance  fruitless.  Captain  Reid 
scuttled  his  vessel  to  prevent  her  capture,  and  then,  with  his 
o-allant  crew,  took  to  their  boats  and  went  on  shore.  The 
Carnation,  soon  after,  perceiving  that  tlie  Armstrong  was 
deserted,  sent  two  armed  boats  to  seize  her,  but  finding  she 
was  scuttled,  they  set  her  on  fire,  when  she  blew  up  in  a  blaze 
of  glory,  and  thus  ended  the  fate  of  this  famous  little  craft. 


.h 


>  I 


I  f 


I   U 


hi 


il 


\_n.'ii.<<jn,,'   ifJX^i 


-'..|.|jJU"   II.IIWW 


■  afcf  ifciiurtiai 


24 


HATTl-l',    WITH    'IMIli:    IIWKi    <'A  UN  A'l"l(  >N. 


«!/ 


Ill  tlui  tlircc  cm;  iijifoiudiils  tli;it  occiukmI  with  llii;  Arin- 
stroiijr,  according  to  a  lair  cstiniatc  (if  tin-  wliolc  imnilHT 
♦'iiufatlfi'd,  of  tliii  Hritisli  s(iua(ln)ii,  their  loss  was  two  ImiKhcd 
luid  ten  kiUcd,  and  oiu>  liuiuhci^  and  forty  wo\iiid('<l,  iiiakiiiif 
a  total  of  thivf  hundred  and  lifty,  of  which  it  will  he  seen 
a  inajority  were  killed.  TIk!  loss  of  the  Arnistrony;,  niarv(d- 
lous  to  state,  was  hut  two  kille<l,  and  seven  wounded! 

vVfter  the  hnrniiii;-  of  the  Arnistronix.  < 'oni'nodore  Moyd, 
fren/,i(Ml  with  disappointment  and  athirst  for  reveii|L;'e,  de- 
manded that  the  (lovernor  should  deliver  up  her  crew  as 
])risoners  of  war.  Tlu'  (lovenioi'  refused,  on  the  jj^roiind 
that  it  would  he  in  violation  of  his  neutrality,  when  \Ai)\i\ 
threatened  to  send  live  hundred  men  on  shore  to  take  them, 
dead  or  alive.  Thus  threatened.  Captain  Reid  and  his  men, 
with  their  arms,  took  refuge  in  an  old  deserted  (Jothie  eon- 
vent,  knocked  away  tlie  draw-bridgi',  ran  nj)  the  American 
Hag,  and  hid  defiance  to  the  foe,  saying,  ''No  surrtMidor  until 
captured."  'I'he  Hritish  cominodoie  (piailed  under  this  last 
demonstration  of  American  courage,  and   feared  to  execute 


Ills  tl 


neat. 


The  tinal  act  of  this  naval  tragical  drama  was  the  very 
ossonec  and  height  of  patriotic  valor  and  heroism.  The 
splendid  courage  aim  personal  prowess  hy  -whii'li  (^aptaiu 
lieid.  his  ollicers  and  crew,  had  achieved  a  glorious  victory 
oviM-  the  immensely  superior  force  of  the  Hritish  S(piadron, 
was  never  exceeded  by  the  exjiloits  in  the  olden  days  of 
romantic  (■hivalry,  as  narrated  hy  Washington  Irving  in  liis 
"Conquest  of  (Jranada."  Yet  all  this  time  he  was  ignorant 
that   lie   had  performed  one  of  the  grandest  feats  of  modern 


or   ancient   warfare    ou    tlie   se 


th 


ir/ 


tas ;  that  by  his  undaunted 
courage  in  defeating  and  disabling  the  British  s(iuadron  he 
had  saved  Louisiana  from  England's  conquest.  lie  was  only 
conscious  that  he  had  done  liis  duty  in  vindicating  the  honor 
of  his  country,  and  defending  untarnished  the  sovereignty  of 


TlfK    HATTF.K   OF    I  AVAL. 


26 


Uic  Ameiiciiii  ihvj;.  Tliis  uloiic  induced  liim  and  liis  ii()l)l(3 
crow  1(1  peril  their  lives  iit,niiiisl  such  foiirt'ul  ochls,  and  to 
[lerforni   ;uch  prodigies  ol'  vahirl 

That  no  charjj^e  of  national  prejuditie  and  exapfcjera^ion  of 
this  wond-rful  eonllict  may  he  made,  we  ^ive  the  I'ollowinn' 
vivid  account  l»y  hu  I^n<flish  frentleman,  vaIio  was  an  eyt'- 
witness  of  the  scene,  in  a  letter  to  William  Cohhett,  Esq., 
at  London,  dated  Fayal,  lifteentli  of  Oct.ihcr,  1814,  and  puh- 
lished  in  ('<>hh,'tt\  W>u'hhi  lir,iixtc)\  \)vy.  10,  1S14.  The 
writer  in  ,i;ivin^'  tlu-  nnnd)er  of  British  killed  at  over  one 
Innidred  and  twenty,  and  the  wcmnded  at  nintfty  in  the  mid- 
night attack,  does  not  incdnde  the  loss  in  the  lirst  and  last 
encasement.  After  mentionini;'  the  arrival  of  the  Arm- 
strong,' and  the  scjuadron,  he  says : 

''The  authorities  all  considei'cd  the  American  privateer 
perfectly  secure,  and  that  His  Majesty's  ollicers  were  too 
veil  aecjuainted  with  the  respect  due  to  a  neuti'al  port  to 
molest  her;  hut,  lo  the  great  surprise  of  everyone,  about 
nine  in  the  evening  four  boats  were  di'spatched,  armed  and 
manned,  from  His  Majesty's  ships,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting 
her  out.  It  being  about  full  moon,  the  night  perfectly  c  'ar 
and  calm,  we  could  see  evi'ry  movement  made.  The  boats 
ai)proached  with  rapidity  toward  her,  when,  it  ai)i)ears  the 
captain  of  the  privateer  iiailed  them,  and  told  them  to  keep 
off,  several  times.  They,  notwithstanding,  imshed  on,  and 
were  in  the  act  of  boarding  before  any  defemte  was  made  by 
the  privateer.  A  warm  contest  Misued  on  both  sides.  The 
boats  were  linally  rei)nlsed  with  great  loss, 

"  After  the  tirst  attack  all  tlu>  inhabitants  were  gathered 
about  the  walls,  expecting  a  renewal  of  the  light.  The 
American,  now  calculating  on  a  very  superior  force  b^'ing 
sent,  cut  his  cables,  and  rowed  the  privateer  within  half 
cable's  length  of  the  fort,  where  he   moored  her,  head  and 


If 


!'  ■. 


■If. 

■t;.. 


I    ''Ij 


1  I- 

i, 


ii;i 


J:  f 


vf 


■fl-. 


'--■ 

'  ■ 

,j.. 

;., 

J  ■ 

■ 

r 

. 

■;> 

fli 

20 


A   milTISH   ACCOU.   r. 


\1 


■r, 


%■ 


stern.     At  midnight  fourteen  launches  were  discovered  to  he 
coming  in  rotation  for  the  purpose.     When  they  got  within 
gunshot  a  tremendous  and  eti'ectual  discliarge  was  made  from 
the  privateer,  wliich  threw  the  I)oats  into  confusion.     They 
now  returned  a  spirited  iire,  hut  the  i)rivateer  kept  up  so 
continual  a  discliarge  it  was  .almost  impossihle  for  the  boats 
to   make  any   progress.     They  finally  succeeded,  after  im- 
mense loss,  to  get  alongside  of  her,  and  attempted  to  board 
at  every  quarter,   cheered  by  the  officers  with  a  shout  of 
*No  quarter,'  which  we  could  distinctly  hear,   as   well    as 
their  shrieks  and  cries.     Tlie  termination  was  near  about  a 
total  massacre.     Three  of  the  boats  were  sunk,  and  but  one 
poor  solitary  officer  escaped  death  in  a  boat  that  contained 
fifty  souls.     He  was  wounded.     The  Americans  fought  with 
great  firmness.     Some  of  the  boats  were  left  without  a  single 
man  to  row  them  ;  others  with  three  and  foui-.     The  most 
that  any  one  returned  with  was  about  ten.     Several  boats 
floated  ashore  full  of  dead  bodies. 

"With  great  reluctance  I  state  that  they  were  manned  with 
picked  men,  and  commanded  by  the  first,  second,  third,  and 
fourth  lieutenants  of  the  Plantagenet ;  first,  second,  third, 
and  fourth  ditto  of  the  frigate,  and  the  first  officer  of  the 
brig;  together  with  a  great  number  of  midshipmen.  Our 
whole  force  exceeded  four  hundred  men.  But  three  officers 
escaped,  two  of  whom  are  wounded.  This  bloody  and  un- 
fortunate contest  lasted  about  forty  minutes.  Notliing  moie 
was  attempted  until  daylight  next  morning,  when  the 
Carnation  hauled  in  alongside  and  engaged  her.  The  priva- 
teer still  continued  to  make  a  most  gallant  defence.  These 
veterans  reminded  me  of  Lawrence's  dying  words,  of  the 
Chesai)eake.  '  Don't  give  up  the  ship.'  The  Carnation  lost 
one  of  her  topniasts  and  her  yards  were  shot  away.  She  was 
much  cut  up  in  her  rigging  and  received  several  shots  in  hev 
hull.     This  obliged  her  to  haul  off  to  repair,  and  to  cease  firing. 


THE    FKiUUK-HEAD   OF   THE    AUM8TK0NO. 


27 


"  The  Americans  now  lindinjr  their  prinoijuil  gun,  Long 
Tom,  and  several  others  dismounted,  deemed  it  folly  to 
think  of  saving  her  against  so  superior  a  force.  They  there- 
fore scuttled  her  and  went  ashore.  Two  boats'  crews  were 
soon  after  despatched  from  our  vessels,  which  went  on  lx)ard, 
took  out  some  provisions,  and  set  her  on  tire.  For  three  days 
after  we  were  employed  in  burying  tlie  dead  that  -wasntd  on 
shore  in  the  surf.  The  number  of  British  killed  excet  'a  -^ne 
hundred  and  twenty,  and  ninety  wounded.  After  bui  ■- 
the  privateer,  Commodore  Lloyd  made  a  demand  on  tjio 
Governor  to  deliver  u{)  the  Americans  as  his  prisoners,  which 
the  Governor  refused.  He  threatened  to  send  five  hundred 
men  on  shore  and  take  them  by  force.  The  vVmericans 
immediately  retired,  with  their  arms,  to  an  old  Gothic  con- 
vent, knocked  away  the  adjoining  draw-bridge,  and  determined 
to  defend  themselves  to  the  last.  The  Commodore,  however, 
thought  better  tlian  to  send  his  men.  .  .  .  The  scjuadron  was 
detained  ten  days  at  Fayal  repairing  damages  and  in  burying 
their  dead.  Two  sloops-of-war,  the  Thais  and  Calypso,  which 
arrived  tno  days  afterwards,  were  sent  back  to  England  with 
their  wounded. 

"  Being  an  eye-witness  to  this  transaction,  I  have  given  you 
a  correct  statement  as  it  occurred. 

With  respect,  I  am,  etc., 

H.  K.  F." 


1   ?! 


V 


I  ill 

I    ; 
I  -'I 


I  1' 


ii 


TPIE    FIGURE-HEAD    OF   THE   ARMSTIiONG. 

At  the  time  the  Armstrong  was  scuttled,  and  the  crew 
were  deserting  their  gallant  craft,  some  of  the  sailors  cried 
out,  "  We  must  save  the  '  Old  General,'  lads,"  as  they  called 
the  ligure-head,  for  which  it  seems  they  had  a  great  affection. 
No  sooner  said,  than  with  their  battle-axes  they  severed  from 
the  bow  the  grim-looking  bust  of  the  "  Old  General,"  which 


■■■I 


!  r 


W! 


28 


INTKHKSTlNd    INCIDKNTS. 


l»ad  iHicn  a  silent  witness  of  their  victory,  and  boro  it  in  tri- 
umph to  the  shore. 

This  ([Uiiint  sj)ecinien  of  the  sliip-ciirvor's  art  of  the  <hivs 
l)V.t,'one,  which  once  ranked  (Mpial  (o  tlie  sctilptor's,  was  phieed 
ovei'  the  gates  leacHng  to  tiie  grand  mansion  of  the  Ariierican 
consnl.  For  years  it  was  >U'coraled  every  Fonrtli  of  .Inly 
by  tiu'  Dahneys,  with  ilowers  and  the  American  Hag.  It 
was  ealhid  hy  the  Portuguese  peasantry  "  Kl  Santo  Ameri- 
eano,"  the  American  Saint,  who  never  failed  to  eross  them- 
selves as  they  passed  by  it. 

In  later  years,  the  American  consnl,  Mr.  Charles  H. 
Dahney,  son  of  John  M.  Dabncy,  prcscnt(!(l  this  venerable 
relic  t(»  the  Naval  Lyceum,  at  Boston,  Mass.,  where  it  now 
remains  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 


m 


>-f 


INTKKKS'tTN(i    INC^IDENTS. 

INTKItVIEW   Ol''    nuiTlSH    OKKICElt.S    WITH    CAl'TAIN    itEID. 

After  it  became  evident  that  Connnodore  T.loyd  did  not 
intend  to  execute  his  threat  to  take  Captain  Reid  and  his 
crew  prisoners,  they  left  their  (quarters  in  the  old  convent 
and  returned  to  the  town  of  Ilorta. 

Several  Hritish  ofVicers,  who  had  come  ashore  to  attend  the 
burial  of  their  deceased  comrades,  sent  a  note  to  Cai)tain 
Reid,  who  was  then  staying  at  the  house  of  Consul  Daliney, 
with  the  request  that  he  would  meet  them  at  the  British 
consul's. 

Mr.  Dabney,  who  was  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  only  a 
ruse  to  arrest  Captain  Reid  or  bring  about  a  duel,  counselled 
him  not  to  go.  But  Reid  said  he  did  not  apprehend  any  in- 
dignity, and  not  to  go  would  be  treating  them  with  dis- 
courtesy. He  accordingly  dressed  in  full  uniform,  with  sash 
and  saln-e,  and  as  he  approached  the  ((uarters  of  the  British 
consul  he  observed  a  number  of  British  otlicers  standing  in 


I:"  I  ■ 


INTKItKSTI  N(  J    I SV,  1 1  )KNTS. 


29 


front  of  tlio  house,  who  rocoj^iiiziiis  him,  lifted  thoir  oajw  and 
j,'iivo  liim  a  eheer,  to  the  great  surpriso  of  Captain  Ueid. 

On  heiiipf  invited  to  enter  the  iiouse,  and  after  the  conipli- 
nients  of  the  day  were  passed,  one  f)f  the  lieutenants  said, 
"»  Wo  have  di'siied  the;  pleasure  of  your  eonii)any,  Cai)tain,  in 
order  to  settle  a  (pieslion  among  oui-selves,  as  to  whether  or 
not  you  and  your  erew  wore  steel  shirts  of  mail  during  th(! 
hattle?  Vov  hoth  our  men  and  olhcers  arc;  eontident  that 
they  saw  our  bullets  strike  your  erew  and  yourself  freipiently, 
and  they  glanced  off  like  hail  I  '' 

Captain  Reid  laughed  at  this  eliarge,  and  replied,  "Why, 
gentlemen,  I  can  assure  you  that  the  only  steel  annor  that 
my  ol'licei's  and  men  wure  was  their  cutlasses  and  steel- 
strapped  iielmots.  A:^  for  myself,  I  admit  that  your  bullets 
tickled  my  ears  so  often  that  I  was  almost  afraid  to  turn  my 
head.  But  you  saw  I  was  in  my  shirt  sleeves,  and  I  pledge 
you,  on  the  honor  of  a  sailor,  tliat  the  only  shirt  of  mail  1 
wore  was  a  linen  shirt,  which  1  don't  deny  was  a  shirt  of  a 
mal^'!'"  A  hearty  laugh  followed,  which  ended  in  several 
bottles  of  wine  being  oi)ened  and  a  jolly  time. 

This  reception  by  (he  liritisli  o.licers  of  their  deadly  foe 
was  certainly  remarkable  under  the  circumstances,  and  proved 
that  by  the  laws  of  hospitality  Ibitish  honor  was  inviolable. 

GENERAL   JACKSON'S    OPINION. 

This  rcmarkid)lc  battle  was  the  last  fought  upon  the  seas 
in  i.ie  war  with  England,  while  that  of  New  Orleans  was  the 
last  fought  upon  the  land ;  though  so  widel}'  apart,  the  chain 
of  destiny  has  lirdced  them  close  together.  When  General 
.laekson  afterwards  learned  that  a  portion  of  the  fleet  which 
was  engaged  in  the  assault  upon  New  Orleans  was  composed 
of  the  same  vessels  which  attacked  the  Armstrong,  he  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  but  for  the  determined  bravery  of 


U! 


'fi 


IM 


30 


INTFKESTIXG    INCIDENTS. 


Captain  Reid  in  resisting  tlie  enemy,  he  (Jackson)  would 
never  liave  fought  tlie  battle  of  New  Orleans,  but  that,  most 
probably,  the  l)attlo  ground  would  have  been  nearer  the 
shores  of  his  own  State. 


KETIUBUTION. 

A  most  singular  case  of  retribution   connected  with  the 
burning  of  Washington  City  and  the  battle  of  New   Orleans 
was  related  by  the  late  Commodore  Ap  Catesby  Jones.     It 
seems  that  Lieutenant  G.  Pratt,  of  her  Britannic  Majesty's 
frigate  Seahorse,  led  a  storming  jmrty  of  marines  at  Wash- 
ington, and  in  looking  up  at  the   monument  erected  to  our 
naval  officers  at    Tripoli,   then    at   the    west   front    of   the 
Capitol,  which  represented  the  Muse  of  History  recording 
with  a  pen  the  brave  deeds  of  our  fallen  heroes,  Pratt  with 
his  sword  bioke  the  hand  and  took  out  the  pen  as  a  trophy, 
saying,  "  The  Muse  of  History  needed  no  pen  to  record  the 
deeds  of  runaway  cowards !  "     Afterwards,  Catesby  Jones, 
then  a  lieutenant  in   connnand  of  our    gunboats    on    Lake 
Pontchartrain  during  the  attack  on  New  Orleans,  came  in 
conflict  with  some  British   boats  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Pratt,  whom  Jones  killed  in  the  conflict  with  his  own  sword, 
but  was   overpowered,  however,  and    taken   prisoner.       On 
bohig  removed  to  the  ship  of  Lieutenant  Pi'att,  the  British 
oflicers  showed  Jones  the  identical   marble  pen  which  Pratt 
had  kept  as  a   trophy.     This  statue   is   now  at  the  Naval 
Academy,  Annapolis,  Md. 


A   CONTRAST. 

To  show  the  unparalleled  victoiy  of  the  battle  of  the 
Armstrong  it  is  stated  that  in  the  great  naval  engao-ement 
off  Capo  \  uicent  in  1797,  between  a  Spanish  fleet  of  twenty- 


HOW    NI>:W    OULKAXS    WAS    SAVED. 


31 


seven  sliips-of-the-line  and  twelve  frigates,  and  a  British 
squadron  of  fifteen  ships-of-the-line  and  seven  frigates  and 
two  sloops-of-war,  the  British  acknowledged  a  loss  of  seventy- 
three  killed  and  two  Jiundred  and  twenty-three  wounded, 
making  a  total  of  two  hundred  and  ninety-six.  Yet  in  this 
tremendous  conflict,  which  lasted  over  six  hours,  the  English 
did  not  lose  as  many  men  as  they  did  in  trying  to  capture  a 
little  brig  of  only  seven  guns  I  Admiral  Jervis,  who  com- 
manded tlie  British  fleet,  having  defeated  the  Spaniards,  was 
created  an  earl  by  the  king  of  England,  and  gi'anted  a  pen- 
sion of  twenty-flve  tliousand  dollars  a  year ;  while  Captain 
Kcid  and  Ids  men  were  granted  the  privilege  of  prosecuting 
their  claim  for  their  losses  before  Congress  for  over  Iralf  a 
century,  and  died  without  receiving  one  cent  of  recompense, 
thus  proving  the  ingratitude  of  republics. 

The  news  of  the  Battle  of  Fayal  reached  the  United  States 
about  the  middle  of  November,  1814  ;  the  reverses  which  had 
attended  our  arms  on  land,  the  bankrupt  condition  of  the 
Government,  and  the  burning  of  our  national  capital,  liad 
tlu'own  a  general  gloom  and  despondency  over  the  country. 
Under  these  circumstances,  the  news  of  the  battle  of  the  Arm- 
strong and  the  extraordinary  victory  sent  a  thrill  of  joy  and 
enthusiasm  through  the  hearts  of  the  American  people.  But 
our  (xovernment  was  as  ignorant  as  Captain  Heid  at  the  time, 
tliat  tlie  gallant  defence  of  the  little  brig  Armstrong  was  to 
be  the  means  of  saving  Louisiana  from  becoming  another 
em[)ire  of  India,  by  the  grasp  of  England,  and  winning  for 
General  Jackson  the  higliest  })innacle  of  fame,  glorv,  and 
civic  honors,  by  the  success  of  his  great  victory  at  New 
Orleans. 

All  was  ready  at  Jamaica.  The  troopslii[is  and  transports 
with  twelve  thousand  veterans,  undei'  Generals  Packeuliam 
and  Keene,  were  eager  for  the  fray.  Admiral  Sir  Thomas 
Cochrane,  as  lie  paced  the  deck  of  his  flagsliip.   was  impa- 


rl  'i, 


^1 

.3 


It  ■'■ 


32       TRIIJUTE   OF    SENATORS    VOOllHEES   AND    EVAKTS. 

tiently  awaitiug  the  arrival  of  Lloyd's  squadron.  How  could 
he  know  that,  Avhen  his  fleet  Avas  sailing  past  the  Capes  of  the 
Chesapeake,  on  the  sixtli  of  October,  Lloyd  was  at  that  very 
time  at  Fayal  burying-  liis  dead  and  repairing  damages,  caus- 
ing the  delay  of  his  squadron  for  ten  or  twelve  days  ?  Fin- 
ally, when  Lloyd's  squadron  arrived  in  Negril  Bay  in  its 
crippled  condition,  he  was  loaded  with  bitter  reproaches  by 
Cochrane,  Packenliam,  and  Keene,  and  a  further  detention  of 
a  week  followed. 

At  this  time,  General  Jackson's  headquarters  were  at 
Mobile.  On  the  seventh  of  November  lie  liad  driven  the 
British  forces  from  the  neutral  Spanish  town  of  Pensacola, 
and  on  his  return  to  Mobile  liad  learned  of  tlie  suspected 
designs  of  the  British  fleet  against  New  Orleans.  By  a 
forced  march  of  his  two  tin  isand  Tennessee  militia,  he 
arrived  at  New  Orleans  oai  the  second  day  of  December. 
Cochrane's  fleet  arrived  at  Lake  Borgue  on  tlie  sixth  of 
December,  just  four  (Za/ys  afterwards.  New  Orleans  was  tlien 
utterly  defenceless.  It  is  evident  that  if  Coclirane's  fleet 
liad  arrived  lifteen  days  sooner,  the  period  of  its  delay,  say  tlie 
twentieth  of  November,  the  British  troops  could  have  taken 
possession  of  New  Orleans  before  any  possible  defence  could 
have  been  made.  And  even  as  it  was,  General  Jackson  had 
barely  time  to  check  the  enemy  by  the  affair  of  the  twenty- 
third  of  December. 

On  the  occasion  of  a  resolution  in  the  United  States 
Senate,  in  1890,  to  strike  a  gold  medal  in  connnemoration  of 
the  services  of  Captain  IJeid,  whose  battle  sabre  was  offered 
by  his  son  as  a  free  gilt  to  the  United  Stales,  the  Honorable 
Senator  Daniel  W.  Voorhees,  in  a  speech  of  thrilling  elo- 
quence, said  : 


"  But  for  the  terrific  injury  inflicted  on  Lloyd's  forces  at 
Fayal,  the  British  would  have  reached  New  Orleans  as  soon. 


TUinUTE   OF   SENATORS    VOORHEES   AND   EVARTS. 


33 


if  not  much  sooner  than  General  Jackson.     Had  this  happened 
that  city  Avould  have  fallen  without  a  blow.  .  .  . 

"It  is  my  simple  task  on  this  occasion  to  show  that  the 
sword  now  offered  for  the  acceptance  of  the  Government  so 
guarded  the  passage-ways  of  the  ocean  and  so  crippled  and 
retarded  the  enemy,  that  time  was  gained  by  Avhich  General 
Jackson  pre[>ared  for  and  won  the  inunortal  victory  at  New 
Orleans.  No  such  battle  would  have  been  fought,  no  such 
victory  won,  but  for  the  stubborn  and  invincible  courage  of 
Captain  Reid  and  his  crew  at  Fayal." 

The  Hon.  William  M.  Evarts,  Senator  from  New  York, 
followed  in  this  glowing  tribute  to  Captain  Reid : 

"  Mr.  President,  I  have  no  need  to  add  anything  to  the 
eloquent  homage  paid  to  the  great  fame  of  Captain  Reid. 
Every  word  that  the  Senator  from  Indiana  [Mr,  Voorhees] 
has  said  is  as  truthful  as  it  was  eloquent.  .  .  .  The  sword  is 
offered  us  and  the  matter  brought  thus  to  our  attention,  and 
we,  with  shame  and  remorse,  if  I  do  not  use  too  strong  words, 
feel  that  it  has  been  a  shame  and  disgrace  to  the  people  of 
this  country  that  a  medal  lias  never  been  struck  in  honor  of 
an  event  so  glorious  to  the  prowess  not  only  of  our  great 
captain  in  this  battle,  but  honorable  to  human  nature. 

"  There  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  classics  or  in  modern 
history  any  stronger  instance  of  personal  prowess  performed 
in  modern  times,  that  used  to  be  done  under  the  old  v/arfare 
of  personal  pi-owess.  But  for  Captain  Reid  that  fight  would 
not  have  been  made  ;  and  but  for  Captain  Reid  that  battle 
would  not  have  been  won.  So  strong  is  this  simile  under 
the  most  diverse  circumstances,  that  it  may  be  said  of 
Captain  Reid  as  was  said  of  Horatius  at  the  bridge  :  'If  he 
had  not  kept  the  bridge,  who  would  have  saved  the  town  ? ' 
And    Rome  was  '  tlie    town,'  and  '  the  bridge  '  was   across 


1  'i' 


i 


I  '! 


-I 

'4^^ 

I 

i 

Kt 

1,  ■■ 

*& 

,  t 

•!     i 

i 
I 
i 

'*  i  HI 


84 


LETTER  OF  GOVERNOR  SHELBY. 


an: 


the  Tiber.  This  battle  in  the  port  of  Fayal  was  the  bridge 
that  he  kept  that  saved  the  town  of  New  Orleans,  and  saved 
the  honor  of  the  country." 

The  Honorable  Senator  from  Ohio  [Mr.  John  Sherman] 
antagonized  this  resolution,  and  by  his  opposition  it  went 
over,  and  was  never  acted  upon. 

LETTER  OF  GOVERNOR  SHELBY. 

The  following  letter  from  that  distinguished  veteran 
warrior  and  statesmen,  Governor  Isaac  Shelby,  of  Kentucky, 
to  Captain  Reid,  illustrates  the  enthusiasm  which  prevailed 
throughout  the  West,  on  the  news  being  received  of  the 
battle  of  the  Armstrong : 

"Frankfort,  Ky.,  May  8,  1815. 

Sir  :  _  The  return  of  peace  to  our  country  upon  honorable 
terms,  with  a  national  character  exalted  in  an  eminent  degree, 
affords  us  leisure  to  review  the  various  conflicts  in  which 
that  character  has  been  developed. 

"  On  the  ocean,  Avhere  we  had  most  to  dread,  we  have  found 
a  rich  harvest  of  glory;  and  the  American  tars  have  secured 
to  themselves  the  admiration  of  the  ^^()rld.  To  the  ofticers 
and  crews  of  our  public  vessels  much  is  due,  and  the  nation, 
through  its  public  functionaries  and  in  other  forms,  has  fully 
demonstrated  its  gratitude.  We  are  not  less  indebted  to  the 
officers  and  crews  of  our  private  armed  vessels.  Instances  of 
talent,  skill,  discipline,  and  of  a  determined,  unconquemble 
bravery  have  been  manifested  by  our  privateersmen.  When 
their  situations  might  have  presented  to  ordinary  minds 
sufficient  iLduccment  for  avoiding  the  contest,  nothing  but  a 
generous  and  noble  patriotism  could  have  led  to  such  deeds. 
I  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  nation  at  large  is  not 


LETTER   OF   GOVEItNOR   SHELBY. 


85 


fully  impressed  with  the  gratitude  due  to  this  class  of  our 
heroes.  But  I  have  regretted  that  there  have  been  so  few 
demonstrations  of  that  sentiment;  you  will,  therefore, 
altliough  a  stranger  to  you,  permit  me,  for  myself  individually 
and  on  behalf  of  the  State  over  which  I  have  the  lionor  to 
preside,  to  assure  you  that  the  conduct  of  yourself  and  of 
your  officers  and  crew  in  defence  of  the  General  Armstrong 
in  the  port  of  Fayal  merits  the  first  applause  of  the  nation, 
and  is  duly  appreciated  by  our  citizens. 

"  No  one  conflict  during  the  war  has  placed  the  American 
character  in  so  proud  a  view. 

"  The  baseness  of  the  attack  in  a  neutral  port,  the  over- 
whelming force  of  the  assailants,  the  small  prospect  of  success 
to  yourself  and  crew,  and  the  unparalleled  disparity  of  loss, 
demonstrated  a  combination  of  talents,  skill,  and  lieroism 
seldom  equalled  and  never  surpassed.  I  trust  our  Govern- 
ment will  fully  appreciate  your  services. 

"  May  you,  your  officers  and  crew,  long  live  to  enjoy  the 
laurels  you  so  nobly  won. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  high  consideration  of  respect 
and  esteem,  your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

Isaac  Shelby. 

Captain  Samuel  C.  Reid,  late  Commander  of  the  United 
States  Privateer  General  Armstrong." 

These  exalted  and  noble  sentiments  will  be  the  more 
appreciated  when  it  is  recalled  that  Governor  Shelby,  as  an 
officer  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  greatly  distinguished  him- 
self at  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  in  October,  1780,  and 
afterwards  led  his  brave  Kentuckians,  in  1813,  against  his 
old  enemy  in  the  campaign  of  the  Northwest,  with  General 
Harrison.  He  was  born  in  Maryland,  in  1750,  and  twice 
served  as  Governor  of  Kentucky. 


-■I, 


!•■  ,M 


p. 


Vi 


■  i- 


36 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   TREATY    OF   GHENT. 


INCIDENTS  OF  THE  TREATY  OF  GHENT. 


In  connection  with  the  failure  of  Lord  Castlereagh's  great 
exi)edition,  and  the  circumstances  which  led  to  it,  it  will  be 
interesting  to  note  that  the  British  Government,  during  the 
year  1813,  had  shown  a  disposition  for  a  reconciliation  and 
for  peace.  The  ■;  tlegent  was  in  favor  of  a  cessation  of 
liostilities.  Butt.  ,  ay  Castlereagh  had  over-ruled  him  in 
order  to  carry  out  his  great  scheme  of  conquest.  Russia  had 
previously  offered  to  act  as  mediator,  but  the  offer  was 
rejected  by  the  British  Ministry. 

Finally,  early  in  January,  1814,  Commissioners  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  two  powers  to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace. 
The  Ministry  kept  the  American  Commissioners  waiting 
month  after  month  by  putting  them  off  on  dilatory  pleas, 
first  proposing  one  place  and  then  another  for  the  negotia- 
tions. In  this  way,  after  six  months'  delay,  the  Commis- 
sioners of  the  two  governments  met  at  Ghent,  in  Belgium, 
in  August,  1814,  at  which  time  Cochrane's  fleet  was  sailing 
up  the  Potomac  for  the  attack  on  Washington ! 

Every  resort  was  made  to  procrastinate  and  protract  the 
sessions  of  the  Commission  in  order  to  gain  time,  which  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  the  treaty  was  not  finally  concluded 
until  the  twenty-fourth  of  December,  1814,  the  night  previous 
to  which  General  Jackson  had  driven  back  General  Keene's 
troops  who  were  marching  on  New  Orleans,  and  as  we  have 
seen,  Castlereagh  was  expecting  that  it  had  already  fallen ! 

About  the  twenty-fifth  of  October,  after  the  rejoicing  by 
the  British  Ministry  over  the  news  of  the  burning  of  Wash- 
ington had  hardly  subsided,  the  British  sloops-of-war  Thais 
and  Calypso  had  arrived,  loaded  with  their  wounded  from 
the  battle  between  the  Armstrong  and  Lloyd's  squadron,  and 
the  details  of  their  dead  buried  at  Fayal.  A  gloom  of  sor- 
row spread  over  England  and  filled  the  land  with  grief. 


INCIDENTS   OF   THE   TREATY   OF   GHENT. 


07 
o  i 


Whether  this  news  had  any  effect  on  the  British  Commis- 
sion, or  daunted  the  hopes  of  Lord  Castlereagh,  can  easily  be 
conjectured.  As  to  the  question,  whether  the  English  Gov- 
ernment would  have  stood  by  the  treaty  in  good  faith  or  not,  in 
case  of  the  conquest  of  Louisiana,  it  is  a  matter  of  broad  s[)ec- 
ulation.  The  precedents  of  the  faithlessness  and  treachery 
of  England  in  violating  treaties  and  the  laws  of  nations 
were  numerous,  and  there  was  but  little  contidence  to  be  i)ut 
in  her  diplomatic  negotiations.  It  is  most  remarkable  that 
the  subject  of  the  right  of  search  and  impressment  of  our 
seamen,  the  chief  cause  of  the  war,  weie  passed  over  in  the 
Treaty  of  Ghent  without  any  stipulation  whatever,  espe- 
cially as  the  treaty  with  England,  made  m  1806,  was  ignored 
and  rejected  by  President  Jefferson,  because  the  rVlit  of 
search  and  impressment  were  not  fully  disavowed,  and  he 
became  so  indignant  that  he  refused  to  submit  it  to  the 
Senate. 

Mr.  Clay,  one  of  the  Commissioners  of  the  treaty  of 
Ghent,  had  but  little  faith  in  the  honor  of  the  British  Gov- 
ernment, knowing  that  its  treaty  obligations  were  never 
respected  whenever  conflicting  with  its  interest  and  policy. 
Ke  is  said  to  have  expressed  the  belief  that,  if  General  Jack- 
son had  been  defeated  at  New  Orleans,  with  the  Mississippi 
River  in  possession  of  the  British  fleet,  England  would  no 
more  have  hesitated  to  nullify  the  Treaty  of  Ghent  than  she 
did  the  Treaty  of  Amiens  with  Bonaparte,  which  obligated 
her  to  withdraw  her  troops  from  and  give  up  the  island  of 
Malta  to  France.  It  is  fair  to  presume,  therefore,  from  the 
studied  design  and  great  effort  that  England  made  for  the 
conquest  of  Louisiana,  that  if  tlie  British  flag  had  ever  once 
floated  over  New  Orleans  it  would  never  have  been  hauled 
down  without  a  struggle.  Under  these  circumstances,  it  is 
not  arrogating  too  much  praise  to  Captain  Reid  and  his 
heroic    crew   to   give    them   the  credit  of    not  only  having 


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38 


LIFE   OF   CAITAIN    SAMUEL   C.    REID. 


Struck  the  fatal  blow  that  effected  tlie  liopeless  ruin  of  the 
grand  scheme  of  the  Britisli  Ministry,  but  saved  the  United 
States  Government  from  a  terrible  disaster,  and  the  country 
from  an  incalculable  calamity. 


U:   I 


mi 


SKETCH    OF    THE    LIFE    OF    CAPTAIN   SAMUEL 

CHESTER    REH). 

There  are  but  few  men  whose  lives,  in  a  career  of  over 
threescore  and  ten,  have  been  more  distinguished  for  the 
historical  and  romantic  incidents  which  liave  attended  them 
than  that  of  Cai)tain  Samuel  Chester  Reid,  the  late  heroic 
commander  of  the  United  States  private-armed  brig-of-war 
General  Armstrong.  The  preceding  pages  have  given  the 
details  of  a  battle  that  immortalized  his  name  and  called 
forth  the  admiration  of  the  world. 

Captain  Reid  was  highly  honored  on  his  return  to  the 
United  States.  He  arrived  at  Amelia  Island  in  a  Portuguese 
brig  from  Fayal  with  his  officers  and  crew,  on  the  fifteenth 
of  November,  1814,  and  proceeded  thence  to  St.  Mary's,  Fla. 
He  received  ovations  all  the  way  from  Savannah  to  New 
York.  At  Richmond,  Va.,  the  members  of  the  Legislature 
gave  him  a  dinner,  at  which  Gov.  W.  C.  Nichols,  Mr. 
Stevenson,  Speaker  of  the  House,  Mr.  William  Wirt,  and 
others  were  present.  The  legislature  of  his  own  State,  New 
York,  in  April,  1815,  passed  resolutions  of  thanks  to  C-  ptain 
Reid,  his  officers  and  crew  "for  their  intrepid  valor  in  thus 
gloriously  maintaining  the  honor  of  tlie  American  flag,"  and 
voted  liim  a  gold  sword.  The  owners  of  the  General  Arm- 
strong and  his  fellow-citizens  of  New  York  City  presented 
to  Captain  Reid  an  elegant  service  of  silver  plate,  "  as  a 
mark  of  the  high  sense  entertained  for  his  distinguished  skill 
and  valor  "  in  the  defence  of  the  Armstrong. 

Captain  Reid  was  not  only  known  as  the  valorous  com- 


LIFE   OF   CAPTAIN    SAMUKL   C.    REID. 


89 


manderof  the  Armstrong;  he  was  equally  conspicuous  in  de- 
voting his  talents  and  genius  to  the  benefit  and  service  of  his 
country.  Me  designed  the  present  form  of  tlie  United  States 
flag  as  ado[)ted  by  Congress  in  1818,  and  which  was  first 
hoisted  on  the  Capitol  on  the  thirteenth  of  April  of  that  year. 
In  1821,  he  invented  and  erected  the  first  marine  telegraph 
between  the  Highlands  of  the  Neversink  on  Staten  Island, 
and  the  Battery  at  New  York  City.  He  also  designed  find 
published  a  national  code  of  signals  for  all  vessels  belonging 
to  the  United  States.  He  reorganized  and  perfected  regula- 
tions for  governing  the  pilots  of  the  port  of  New  York,  and 
had  the  i)ilot  boats  numbered.  Through  his  efforts  and  in- 
stigation he  caused  the  Government  to  establish  a  lightship 
off  Sandy  Hook,  the  first  ever  constructed.  In  1820  he  in- 
vented a  new  system  of  land  telegra[)hs,  by  means  of  wliich 
he  satisfactorily  demonstrated  that  a  message  could  be  sent 
from  Wasliington  city  to  New  Orleans  in  two  hours.  A  bill 
was  before  Congress  for  its  adoption,  when  Morse's  discovery 
superseded  it.  He  likewise  instituted  and  organized  the 
Shipmasters'  and  Marine  Society  of  New  York,  for  the  im- 
provement of  sea  captains,  and  the  support  of  their  widows 
and  children,  and  in  many  ways  devoted  himself  to  the  cause 
of  education,  art,  and  science. 

On  the  death  of  Captain  Reid,  twenty-eighth  of  January, 
1801,  the  New  Y'^ork  Herald  characterized  the  battle  of 
the  Armstrong  as  being  "  The  ThermopyUe  of  the  ocean," 
and  in  mentioning  his  services  to  his  country,  said : 

"  They  are,  aside  from  the  romantic  personal  interest  which 
hangs  about  them,  among  the  most  im^jortant  events  in  the 
history  of  our  nation.  Reid  was  indeed  a  man  of  rare  com- 
binations, possessing  great  genius  and  talent,  the  courage  of 
a  lion,  the  adventurous  spirit  of  a  crusader,  the  taste  of  a 
poet,  and  the  tenderness  of  a  woman.     He  belonged  to  that 


ill 


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40 


GENEALOGY   OF   CAPTAIN    UEID. 


old  school  of  patriots  of  whom  Paul  Jones  was  the  first  and 
Iiimself  the  last." 

Captain  Reid  was  born  in  the  town  of  Norwich,  State  of 
Connecticut,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  August,  1783,  the  year 
of  peaoe,  just  after  the  throes  of  the  devolution.     He  was  the 
second  and  only  surviving  son  of  Lieutenant  John  Reid  of 
the  British  navy,  who  was  captured  at  New  London,  Coini., 
in  October,  1778,  while  in  command  of  a  night-boat  expedition 
sent  out  from  the  British  squadror.,  under  Adnural  Hotham, 
which  was  then  ravaging  the  cor,st.     Lieutenant  Reid  was  a 
son  of  Lord  John  Reid,  ( f  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Henry  Reid,  Earl  of  Orkney,  and  Lord  High 
Admiral  to  Robert  HL  (Bruce),  King  of  Scotland,  in  1393. 
His  great-grandson  was  William  Reid,  of  Aikenhead,  county 
of  Clackmannan,  whose  son,  Robert  Reid,  became  Bishop  of 
Orkney  in  151S.  and  these  were  the  progenitors  of  Lieutenant 
John  Reid,  the  father  of  Capt.  Samuel  Chester  Reid. 

During  the  time  Lieutenant  Reid  was  a  prisoner  and  held 
as  hostage,  he  resigned  his  commission  under  George  IH.,  and 
espoused  the  American  cause.     In  February,  1781,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Rebecca  Chester,  of  Norwich,  by  whom  he  had  but 
two  sons,  the  eldest   of  which  died  young,  leaving  Sanuiel 
Chester  Reid  the  only  child.    Miss  Chester  ivas  a  descendant  of 
the  fourth  generation  of  Captain  Samuel  Chester,  formerly  an 
officer  of  the  British  navy,  ^vho,  in  1062,  emigrated  to  Con- 
necticut and  settled  in  New  London.     He  was  a  soii  of  Sir 
Robert  Chester,  who  was  knighted  by  James  L,  in  1603,  and 
was  a  dire-     descendant  of  the  Earls  of   Chester,  through 
whom  he  was  collaterally  connected  with  Robert  I.  (Bruce), 
King  of  Scotland.     Johr ,  the  son  of  Captain  Samuel  Chester^ 
was  the  great-grandfather  of  Rebecca,  and  in  1685  was  one 
of  the  magistrates  of  the  upper  house  of  the  assembly  of  the 
colony  of  Connecticut.     His  son,  the  second  John  Chester, 


i 


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HISTOllY    OF   LONG   TOM. 


1747,  iiiul  wh 


41 


th 


Hucceeded  lii.s  father  as  maufistmte 
^'iiiiuii'ather  of  Miss  C'liestLr.  His  son,  the  third  .loiiii  Cliester, 
served  at  Hunker  Hill  and  the  Battle  of  Lexington  in  1775, 
and  was  a  colonel  in  Hri<;adier-(ieneral  Wadsworth's  Con- 
nectieut  brigade.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Connectieut 
Convention  in  Jannary,  1788,  which  ratified  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States.  He  was  the  father  of  Uebeet-a  Chester, 
who  was  the  mother  of  Captain  .Samuel  Chester  Reid. 

Captain  Ueid,  following  the  inherited  vocation  of  his  fore- 
fathers, went  to  sea  from  New  York,  at  the  early  age  of 
eleven,  on  a  voyage  to  the  West  Indies.  He  was  ca[)tured 
by  a  French  privateer,  and  carried  into  Basseterre,  Guade- 
loupe, where  he  was  confined  for  six  months.  He  subse- 
quently served  as  acting  midshipman  on  the  sloop-of-war 
Baltimore  with  Commodore  Thomas  Truxton,  who  com- 
manded the  West  India  squadron.  He  connuanded  the  brig 
Merchant,  of  New  York,  when  oidy  twenty  years  of  age. 

Captain  Reid  mariied,  at  New  York  City,  on  tiie  eighth  of 
June,  1813,  Mary,  daughter  of  Captain  Nathan  Jennings,  of 
Willington,  Conn.,  who  volunteered  as  private  at  the  Battle 
of  Lexington,  April,  177'').  He  afterwards  enlisted  and 
served  in  Captain  Willes's  fifth  company  of  General  S[)eneer's 
brigade.  He  crossed  the  Delaware  with  General  Washiufj- 
ton,  and  commanded  a  company  at  the  Battle  of  Trenton, 
twenty-sixth  of  December.  1776,  being  distinguished  for 
gallant  services  on  the  field. 

HISTORY    OF   THE  GUN    "LONG   TOM"    OF   THE 

UNITED   STATES  PRIVATE-ARMED   BRIG- 

OF-WAR  GENERAL    ARMSTRONG. 

The  following  extraordinary  and  romantic  historv  oi  this 
gun  was  furnished  by  Commander  A.  S.  Crowniushield,  of 
the  United  States  Navy. 


H 

*; 


Hi 


•T^ 


42 


HISTOKY   OF   LONG   TOM. 


In  the  month  of  October,  1798,  the  French  line  of  battle- 
ship Hoche,  of  eighty-four  guns,  was  captured  by  a  British 
squadron,  commanded  by  Sir  John  B.  Warren  (afterwards 
well  known  on  our  coast),  and  sent  into  an  English  port 
where  her  armament  was  offered  for  sale.  Colonel  Ephraim 
Bowen,  of  Providence,  aiid  Mr.  John  B=  Murray,  of  New 
York,  who  were  in  England  at  the  time,  purchased  her  main 
battery  of  forty-two  pounder  cannons  on  speculation,  and 
shipped  them  to  New  York. 

There  they  were  sold  to  the  United  States  Government,  to 
be  mounted  in  the  harbor,  and  General  Ebenezer  Stevens 
was  appointed  to  inspect  them.  He  rejected  one  gun,  in 
consequence  of  a  severe  indentation  on  the  muzzle,  that 
somewhat  affected  the  bore,  which,  hov  ever,  was  afterwards 
reamed  out  by  the  owners,  and  the  gun  was  retained  by  them. 

In  1804,  Mr.  Murray,'  in^  co)>junction  with  others,  entered 
into  a  contract  with  the  Emperor  of  Hayti  for  a  supply  of 
munitions  of  war,  to  carry  on  his  conflict  with  France. 
These  gentlemen  fitted  out  three  vessels,  all  of  which  Avere 
armed  for  the  protection  of  that  island  against  the  French. 
Among  them  was  the  "  Samson,"  Captain  Palmer,  a  large 
ship  carrying  fourteen  guns,  vvith  this  rejected  forty-two-, 
pounder  mounted  amidships  on  a  pivot. 

Its  first  service  was  the  carrying  away  of  a  foremast  of  a 
large  French  privateer,  which  gave  chase  to  the  little  squad- 
ron, and  thus  disabled  her  from  further  pursuit.  The  contract 
with  Hayti  having  been  completed  and  the  little  fleet  dis- 
posed of,  Mr.  Murray  purchased  the  Samson,  which  vessel  he 
forthwith  disarmed  for  the  merchant  service. 

This  was  in  1807,  when  the  "  big  gun  "  being  dismounted 
was  laid  on  the  bulkhead,  in  South  Street,  New  York  City, 
where  it  remained  for  several  years  in  that  situation,  when  it 
was  finally  transferred  to  the  foundry  of  Robert  McQueen  in 
Duane  Street,  in  view  of  being  recast  in  old  metal.     While 


HISTORY   OF   LONG   TOM. 


48 


there,  the  War  of  1812  wiis  declared,  and  New  York  was 
alive  with  preparations  for  fitting  out  privateers.  Among 
them  was  the  celebrated  brig  Geneial  Armstrong,  commanded 
by  Captain  Samuel  Chester  Reid,  which  vessel  was  built  by 
Adam  and  Noah  Brown,  the  eminent  shipbuilders,  who 
purchased  the  "  big  gun  "  at  the  price  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars. 

It  was  mounted  on  a  pivot  amidships,  and  remained  there 
through  her  cruises  until  slie  was  finally  blockaded  in  the  bay 
of  Fayal,  one  of  the  Azore  islands  belonging  to  Portugal,  in 
September,  1814,  by  a  large  British  squadron,  whose  com- 
mander, in  violation  of  the  laws  of  neutrality  and  all  rules  of 
war,  attempted  her  capture.  Tlie  gun.  Long  Tom,  was 
brought  to  bear  with  terrible  execution  against  this  powerful 
squadron,  resulting  in  their  defeat  and  a  loss  of  over  three 
hundred  of  their  officers  and  men.  The  su[)erior  forces  of 
the  British  squadron  finally  prevailed,  so  far  as  to  cause  the 
destruction  of  the  Armstrong,  which  after  being  scuttled  on 
the  beach  and  abandoned  by  her  crew,  the  British  set  her  on 
fire,  when  she  became  a  total  wreck. 

Long  Tom  ^\  as  afterwards  fished  uj)  from  its  watery  grave, 
and  was  mounted  in  the  Castle  of  Santa  Cruz,  at  Fayal, 
where  it  had  been  exhibited  as  a  relic  of  this  wonderful 
battle  for  the  past  seventy -eight  years,  before  it  was  tran- 
shipped back  again  to  New  York.  It  is  a  singular  coinci- 
dence that  this  gun  should  have  remained  at  Fayal  just  the 
period  of  Captain  Reid's  life,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
eight. 

The  return  of  the  gun  to  the  United  States  was  effected 
through  tlie  means  of  Colonel  Sava  C.  Reid,  the  son  of  the 
commander  of  the  Armstrong,  who  visited  Fayal  in  1890, 
with  a  view  of  obtaining  a  sketch  of  the  battle  ground  and 
the  harbor  and  bay,  for  his  work  on  the  Memoirs  of  his 
father,     lie  was  conducted  to  the  Castle  of  Santa  Cruz  by 


f!> 


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44 


HISTORY   OF   LONG   TOM. 


Mr.  Samuel  W.  Dabney,  then  the  United  States  consul  at 
Fayal,  and  was  introduced  to  Long  Tom,  which  had  caused 
so  much  fame  and  celebrity. 

In  September,  1891,  Colonel  Reid  addressed  a  letter  to 
President  Harrison  requesting  our  minister  at  Lisbon,  Gen- 
eral Geo.  S.  Batcheller,  be  instructed  to  make  an  amicable 
demand  for  the  transfer  of  this  gun  to  our  Government.  To 
this  request  the  King  of  Portugal,  Don  Carlos  L,  most  gra- 
ciously consented,  and  the  transfer  of  the  gun  to  the  Ameri- 
can Minister  was  made  at  Fayal  on  the  twelfth  of  May, 
1892,  with  great  ceremony  by  a  commission  of  the  Portu- 
guese military  officers,  and  in  the  presence  of  tlie  troops  of 
the  garrison. 

The  following  is  a  translated  copy  of  the  official  report 
deposited  in  the  Portuguese  military  archives  at  Lisbon  : 


Headquarters  of  the  Military  Commander 
OF  THE  Western  Azores,  Horta, 

Twelfth  of  May,  1892. 

Record  of  the  delivery  of  the  forty-two-pounder,  Long  Tom, 
now  being  in  the  Castle  of  Santa  Cruz,  described  by  the  let- 
ters, F.  L.  S.  P.  17  C,  to  liis  Excellency,  Mr.  Batcheller, 
Minister  of  the  United  States  of  North  America,  in  Poi'tucral. 

On  the  twelfth  day  of  the  month  of  May,  1892,  at  twelve 
o'clock  in  the  day,  there  assembled  at  the  Secretariate  of  the 
Military  Commander  of  the  Western  Azores,  a  commission 
composed  of  the  following  officers:  Francisco  Alfonso  da 
Costa  Chaves  e  Mello,  Captain  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment  of 
Chasseurs  ;  Bernardo  Pereira  de  Vasconcellos,  First  Lieuten- 
ant of  the  Second  Company  of  the  (rarrison  Artillerymen ; 
and  Jos(5  Ign;  io  da  Silva,  ensign  in  the  Eleventh  Regiment 
of  Chasseurs,  (o  proceed  to  deliver  the  forty-two-pounder. 
Long  Tom,  to  his  Excellency,  Mr.  Batcheller,  Minister  of  the 


HISTORY   OF   LONG  TOM. 


46 


United  States  of  North  America,  in  Portugal,  who  is  present 
at  this  Secretariate. 

His  Excellency  having  expressed  a  desire  that  the  delivery- 
should  be  made  immediately,  the  Commission  proceeded  to 
the  Castle  of  Santa  Cruz,  in  this  town  of  Horta,  and  there  in 
the  presence  of  their  Excellencies,  Jos6  Estauislau  Ventura, 
Lieutenant  Colonel  of  Infantry,  and  Military  Commander  of 
the  Western  Azores ;  Lewis  Dexter,  Consul  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  in  this  Island;  Francisco  da  Nazareth 
Vicira,  Lieutenant  and  Sheriff;  and  Alfredo  de  Sampaio 
Leite,  Ensign  in  the  Eleventh  Regiment  of  Chasseurs,  was 
recognized  the  gun  F.  L.  S.  P.  17  C,  by  his  Excellency  the 
Minister  referred  to,  as  being  the  forty-two-pounder,  "  Long 
Tom,"  wherefore  it  was  delivered  to  him,  and  at  the  same 
time  this  record  was  drawn  up  which  is  signed  by  his  Ex- 
cellency Mr.  Batcheller,  and  by  the  members  of  the  Commis- 
sion : 

GEORGE  S.  BATCHELLER, 

Minister  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

FRANCISCO  ALFONSO  da  COSTA  CHAVES  e  MELLO, 

Caj^tain  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment  of  Chasseurs. 

BERN  ADO  PEREIRO  de  VASCONCELLOS, 

First  Zieutenant  of  the  Second  Company  of 
Artillerymen  of  the  Garrison. 

JOSE  IGNACIO  DE  SILVA, 

Ensign  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment  of  Chasseurs. 

Executed  in  due  form.    Headquarters  of  Military  Commander 
of  the  Western  Azores,  Horta,  twelfth  of  May,  1892. 

JOSE  ESTANISLAU  VENTURA, 

Lieutenant  Colonel  of  Infantry. 


it 


It  is  but  justice  to  say  that  great  credit  is  due  to  General 
Batcheller   for  his  patriotic  zeal  and  diplomatic  energy  in 


46 


THE   FLAG   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


obtaining  the  consent  of  the  Portuguese  G(/venimeut  to 
deliver  up  Long  Tom.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy,  Hon.  B.  F.  Tracy,  to  send  a  ship-of-war  to 
Fayal  for  tlie  gun,  but  as  no  vessel  was  available  at  the 
time,  Messrs.  Bensaude  &  Co.,  the  enterprising  owners  of  the 
Insular  Navigation  Steamsliip  Company,  of  Lisbon,  which 
runs  monthly  fi'om  Lisbon  via  the  Azores  to  New  Yoik, 
generously  offered  to  bring  it  over  free  of  charge,  which 
offer  was  accepted  by  our  Goveinment.  The  gun  was 
shipped  from  Fayal  on  the  eighth  of  April,  on  the  splendid 
steamship  "  Vega,"  Captain  Da  Rossa,  which  arrived  at  New 
York  on  the  night  of  the  eighteenth  of  April,  1893. 

The  return  of  this  famous  gun  to  Amerifa,  after  its 
seclusion  of  over  three  quarters  of  a  century  in  the  ancient 
Castle  of  Santa  Cruz,  has  revived  the  historic  glory  of  its 
brilliant  exploits,  and  created   the  greatest  public  interest. 

At  the  request  of  tliat  gallant,  patriotic  naval  oilicer, 
Commodore  Richard  W.  Meade,  ^vhose  genius  and  enterprise 
designed  the  celebrated  model  battleship  Illinois,  at  Chicago, 
this  gun,  on  its  arrival  at  New  York,  was  sent  to  the  Expo 
sition  as  one  of  the  naval  exhibits,  together  with  the  portrait 
ard  battle  sabre  of  Captain  Reid. 

THE     FLAG     OF     THE     UNITED     STATES.  —  ITS 

ORIGIN     AND     HISTORY.      ITS    PRESENT 

FORM    DESIGNED     BY    CAPTAIN 

SAMUEL    CHESTER    REID. 

It  is  important  that  every  American  citizen  should  become 
familiar  with  the  history  of  the  flag  of  his  country.  The  fol- 
lowing account  is  from  the  most  authentic  historical  records : 

The  American  flag  in  1775  was  "the  Britisli  union  with 
the  crosses  of  St.  George  and  St.  Andrew  in  a  red  field,"  and 
was  displayed  at  New  York  on  a  liberty  pole  with  the  inscrip- 


i«t^ 


THE   FLAG   OF   THE    UNITED    STATES. 


47 


tion,  "  George  Rex  and  the  Liberties  of  America."  It  is  a 
little  singular  that  the  first  flag  adopted  as  our  national  ensign 
by  our  ships  of  war  consisted  of  horizontal  stripes  with  the 
British  union  still  i-etained  in  a  canton,  but  was  aftej-wards 
replaced  by  the  stars  on  a  blue  field. 

There  is  no  question  of  the  fact  that  the  origin  of  our 
national  flag  was  taken  from  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  Wash- 
ington family,  which  was  constituted  of  stars  and  bars. 
In  1776  the  construction  of  the  first  national  standard  with 
the  stars  and  stripes  took  place  in  Philadelphia  under  the 
personal  direction  of  General  Washington  and  a  committee 
of  the  old  Continental  Congress.  The  first  flags  bore  twelve 
stars  in  a  circle,  as  then  only  twelve  States  had  ratified  the 
Articles  of  Confederation.  On  June  14,  1777,  Congress 
resolved  that  "  the  flag  of  the  United  States "  be  thirteen 
stripes,  alternate  white  and  red,  and  the  union  be  thirteen 
white  stars  in  a  blue  field. 

On  January  13,  1794,  after  tAvo  nev/  States  had  been 
admitted.  Congress  passed  an  act  that  the  stripes  and  stars  be 
increased  to  fifteen  each.  Upon  the  admission  of  new  States 
subsequently  stripes  and  stars  were  being  added  to  the  flag, 
which  soon  rendered  it  unwieldy  and  destroyed  its  form 
and  perspicuity. 

On  the  admission  of  the  State  of  Indiana  into  the  Union, 
in  1816,  a  resolution  was  introduced  at  the  second  session  of 
tlie  Fourteenth  Congi'ess  in  the  House,  by  Mr.  Wendover, 
of  New  York,  to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of  altering 
"  the  flag  of  the  United  States."  Afterwards  the  Committee 
on  Naval  Affairs  called  on  Captain  Samuel  Chester  Reid,  of 
New  York,  who  was  in  Washington  at  the  time,  late  com- 
mander of  the  brig-of-war  General  Armstrong,  to  make  a 
permanent  design  for  the  flag.  He  reduced  the  stripes  to 
thirteen,  to  represent  the  original  States,  and  to  add  a  star  to 
the  union  for  each  new  State. 


48 


THE   FLAG   OF   THE   UNITED    STATES. 


He  presented  two  forms  of  the  flag,  one  with  the  stars 
formed  into  one  great  star  in  the  union  exjjressing  signiti- 
cantly  the  symbol,  -  E  Pluribus  Unum,"  for  our  ships  and 
steamers  in  the  merchant  service,  and  the  other  with  the  stars 
in  parallel  lines  for  the  halls  of  Congress,  our  ships  of  war, 
and  public  buildings.  Congress  ai)proved  of  the  design  by 
''  an  act  to  establish  the  flag  of  the  United  States,"  passed 
thirty-first  of  March,  1818,  Fifteenth  Congress,  first  session, 
and  approved  by  President  Monroe  on  April  4,  1818. 

The  first  flag  of  the  present  design  was  made  by  the  wife 
of  Captain  Reid,  assisted  by  some  young  ladies,  at  her  house 
in  New  Y6rk  City,  on  Cherry  Street,  near  Franklin  Square, 
and  was  first  hoisted  on  the  Capitol  on  the  thirteenth  of 
April,  1818,  seventy-five  years  ago. 

The  lines  of  Drake  are  here  appropriate : 

"  Flag  of  tlie  free  heart's  only  home. 
By  angel  hands  to  valor  given  ; 
Thy  stars  have  lit  the  welkin  dome. 
And  all  thy  hues  were  born  in  heaven." 

The  genius  that  designed  the  settled  form  and  permanency 
of  the  United  States  flag  was  most  aptly  chosen.  No  braver 
or  more  gallant  sailor  could  have  been  selected  for  the  task 
—  none  more  deserving  than  he,  who  had  won  the  world's 
applause  and  immortal  fame  at  the  battle  of  Fayal  with  a 
British  squadron  in  1814. 

A  brilliant  September  midnight  moon  lit  up  with  its  sil- 
very sheen  the  waters  of  the  bay  and  the  walls  of  Horta, 
burnishing  the  towering  volcanic  peak  of  Mount  Pico,  which 
seemed  excited  to  eruption  as  it  looked  down  upon  the  battle 
scene  below.  The  American  ensign  floated  defiantly  from 
the  peak  of  the  General  Armstrong,  amid  the  roar  and  smoke 
of   guns  and  the  clash  of   steel  —  then  the  battle  cry  and 


m^ 


^\ 


THE  FLAG   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


49 


shout  of  victory  rang  out  upon  the  air,  and  re-echoed  again 
and  again  over  the  bay  and  the  hills  of  Horta.  The  stars  in 
that  flag  that  night  were  silvered  with  a  brilliant  lustre,  which 
not  even  the  moonbeams  dancing  on  the  waves  of  the  bay, 
blood-red  with  the  human  gore  of  England's  bravest  and  best, 
could  make  more  dazzling  than  the  splendors  of  that  victory  ! 
It  would  seem  that  Drake  was  painting  this  scene,  when 
he  wrote: 

"  Flag  of  the  seas !  on  ocean's  wave 
Thy  stars  shall  glitter  o'er  the  brave, 
When  death  careering  on  the  gale 
Sweeps  darkly  round  tlie  t:-.velling  sail. 
And  frighted  waves  rush  wildly  back 
Before  the  broadside's  reeling  rack, 
The  dying  wanderer  on  the  sea 
Shall  look  at  once  to  heaven  and  thee  — 
And  smile,  to  see  thy  splendoi-s  fly, 
In  triumph,  o'er  his  closing  eye." 

The  prowess  of  nations  and  the  heroism  on  their  battle-fields 
have  been  inspired  and  achieved  by  the  emblems  of  their 
battle-banners  and  flags,  stimulating  their  warriors  to  deeds 
of  valor  and  the  highest  courage.  Carlyle  says :  "  We  see 
in  flags  the  divine  idea  of  duty,  of  heroic  daring,  and  some- 
times of  freedom  and  right." 

THE  FLAG  THAT  REID  DESIGNED. 

This  is  the  flag  that  Reid  designed ; 
Whose  splendors  by  his  art  enshrined. 
Transformed  anew  the  stripes  and  stare 
That  proudly  triumphed  in  our  wai-s. 
Long  as  it  waves  'twill  bear  his  name, 
And  tell  of  his  immortal  fame. 


tt 


n 

V 


]^ 


i  I 


'f 


[■-iiiiir--"iiittiiiii 


1 1-'.  - . 


60  ADMIUAL   COCHUAXE   AND   CAPTAIN    llEID. 

Who  was  the  ])ero  of  Fayal? 
A  battle  that  exceeded  all 

E'er  fought  upon  the  seas. 
A  British  squadron,  ten  to  one, 
He  vanquished  with  his  "Long  Tom"  gun. 

And  brought  proud  Albion  to  her  knees. 

'Twas  Reid,  who  on  that  fearful  night 
Wielded  his  sword  with  giant's  might ; 
'Twas  Reid,  amid  the  cannon's  roar. 
When  steel  flashed  steel  reeking  with  gore, 
In  British  blood  he  bathed  anew 
The  crimson  in  his  flag  so  true. 


He  added  lustre  still  more  bright, 
By  this  heroic,  gallant  fight, 
And  to  his  country  gloiy  gave. 
Not  knowing  that  he  was  to  save 
The  victory  which  Jackson  won, 
Revenging  the  fall  of  Washington ! 


S.  C.  Reid. 


!,'>'*•■ 
U 


ADMIRAL    SIR   THOMAS   LORD   COCHRANE   AND 
CAPTAIN   SAMUEL   CHESTER   REID. 

The  London  correspondent  of  the  Baltimore  Sun,  in 
April,  1879,  gave  the  following  interesting  statement  in 
relation  to  the  unjust  treatment  of  the  British  naval  hero, 
Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Cochrane,  by  his  government,  whose 
name  is  historically  connected  with  an  American  naval  hero 
of  equal,  if  not  of  greater  renown.  Captain  Samuel  Chester 
Reid: 

"  You,  good  reader  from  '  north  of  the  Tweed,'  may  call  to 
memory  the  name  of  Thomas  Lord  Cochrane ;    and  you  who 


ADMIRAL   COCHUANE   AND   CAJ'TAIN    KEID. 


61 


know  better  tlie  b.aiiks  of  the  Potomac  may  not  be  unmindful 
of  this  naval  name.  Last  week  this  name  was  given  justice 
in  the  election  of  a  Scotch  peer,  and  tliat  peer  was  of  the 
loins  of  l^ord  Cochrane,  the  late  Earl  of  Dundonald.  In 
European  waters,  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  oceans,  the 
name  of  Lord  Dnndonald  is  a  household  word  with  readers 
of  naval  history.  A  vicious  sentence  of  years  hung  over  him, 
and  an  enormous  fine  paid  by  the  subscriptions  of  two  million 
six  hundred  and  forty  thousand  persons  at  one  penny  each, 
told  him  of  his  persecution  and  popularity  at  one  and  the 
same  time.  He  was  expelled  from  the  House  of  Commons, 
but  at  once  re-elected  by  the  people  of  Westminster.  By 
piecemeal  his  rights  were  I'estored  in  part  when  the  sun  of 
his  life  was  setting.  On  a  twilight  eve  in  1860  he  died, 
bequeathing  his  claim  against  the  British  Government  to  his 
grandson,  Douglas,  the  present  Lord  Cochrane.  Last  year 
all  the  back  pay  and  rights  of  the  great  naval  hero  were 
fully  paid  and  handed  over  to  this  Lord  Cochrane,  and  on 
Tuesday  last  the  son  of  the  ill-treated  hero  was  elected  a 
peer  of  Scotland,  and  his  son,  the  aforesaid  Lord  Cochrane, 
beheld  the  memory  and  name  of  his  grandfather  and  his 
father  thus  slowly  but  surely  reinstated  in  the  roll  of  history. 
How  many  men  in  America  have  been  similarly  ill-treated, 
but  not  similarly  justified  and  rewarded  I  " 

There  is  a  remarkable  incident  connecting  the  names  of 
these  two  naval  heroes  with  each  other,  and  though  as  distant 
as  the  first  and  last  links  of  a  chain,  they  are  nevertheless 
closely  associated  in  both  English  and  American  history, 
the  one  having  exercised  a  fatal  destiny  over  the  other. 

As  we  have  seen,  but  for  Captain  Reid's  heroic  defence  of 
the  Armstrong  in  defeating  and  delaying  Lloyd's  Squadron, 
Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Cochrane,  Earl  of  Dundonald,  might 
have  been  a  victorious  hero,  with  his  fleet  triumphantly  anch- 
ored in  the  Mississippi,  off  New  Orleans,  and  the  British  flag 


i 


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ill 


M 


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4- 'If 


62 


A   NEW    80N0. 


lit' 


of  the  Cross  of  St.  George  procloiming  the  conquest  of  an 
^     erican  India ! 

Thus  Captain  Reid's  fame  and  name  are  singularly  linked 
with  that  of  Sir  Admiral  Cochrane's,  the  late  Earl  of  Dun- 
doiicald,  who  died  in  1860,  and  the  former  in  1861,  without 
the  reward  of  justice  by  either  of  their  governments. 

THE  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG.— A  NEW  SONG. 

TUNE. — "  VIVE-LA." 

The  following  song  was  composed  by  the  geneiT.l  officers 
of  the  Armstrong  on  their  voyage  from  Fayal  to  the  United 
States.  It  is  in  the  old  ballad  style  of  that  day,  and  is 
worthy  of  preservation. 

Come,  listen  to  a  gallant  action. 

Which  was  fought  in  Fayal  Bay, 
By  the  saucy  General  Armstrong  ; 

From  eight  P.  M.  till  break  of  day. 

Chorus. — Hail !  the  saucy  (Tcneral  Armstrong : 
Reid's  immortalized  her  name  — 
Her  cannon  dealt  death  and  destruction 
To  furbish  young  Columbia's  fame. 

Plantagenet,  Rota,  and  Carnation 
Thought  with  her  to  have  rare  sport, 

Sent  in  their  boats,  with  an  intention 

To  cut  her  out  of  a  neutral  port. —  Chorus. 


At  eight,  four  boats  commenc'd  the  action. 
Which  fifteen  minutes'  work  laid  low ; 

Quarters  next  came  in  r'^tation, 

Which  on  them  we  did  bestow. — Chorus. 


A  y«:W   SOVG. 


68 


Fourteen  boats,  with  nen  five  hundred, 
At  midnight  made  the  grand  attack  ; 

In  forty  minutes  half  thtnr  number 

Were  killed  and  wounded,  falling  back. — Chorus. 

Britain's  killed  in  both  engagements, 

Amounted  to  three  hundred  men  ; 
Fifty  more  of  them  were  wounded  — 

The  rest  retreated  back  again. —  Chorus. 

The  number  killed  on  board  the  General, 

It  dotli  grieve  us  to  relate, 
The  falling  of  liieutenant  Williams, 

And  one  man  we  do  regret. —  Chorus. 

Two  lieutenants  more  were  wounded, 

And  likewise  five  of  our  men  ; 
But  we've  got  them  safely  landed, 

And  recovering  fast  again. —  Chorus. 

Then  at  break  of  day  next  morning, 

The  sloop  of  war  got  urider  way, 
And  opened  her  broadside  upon  us, 

British  courage  to  display. — Chorus. 

Lest  she  should  fall  in  their  possession, 

We  thought  it  prudent  her  to  sink ; 
Which  was  put  in  execution. 

And  thus  the  General  became  extinct. —  Chorus. 

Then  by  the  British  she  Avas  boarded 

(Who  finding  her  partly  destroyed 
Set  her  on  fire)  when  thus  abandoned. 

By  command  of  Captain  Lloyd. —  Chorus. 


.1' 


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c   - 
'1 

1 

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1 

i 

I 


64 


CASE   OF    IMlUi    IJENKlfAl-   AKMSTKONO. 


Although  \vi!  conhl  not  save  the  General, 
Columhiii's  fame  wo  held  in  view ; 

We  have  ehastis'd  the  haughty  Britons 
With  our  little  Yankee  erew. —  Chorus. 

THE  CELEBUATi:!)  CASE  OK  THE  BRIG  GENEHAL 

ARMSTRONG. 

Tiie  final  destruction  of  the  brig  General  Armstrong  by  the 
British  sciuadroii  in  tlie  neutral  waters  of  the  island  of  Fayal, 
belonging  to  Portugal,  in  violation  of  the  laws  of  neutrality, 
became  a  subject  of  earnest  diplomatic  correspondence  between 
this  government  and  Portugal  for  over  forty  years  from  the 
time  of  its  occurrence. 

The  Portuguese  government  had  at  once  acknowledged  its 
liability  to  this  government',  and  made  a  peremptory  demand 
on  Great  Britain  for  satisfaction  and  indenuiincatioii  for  the 
violation  of  the  neutrality  of  its  territory  and  the  destruction 
of  the  Armstrong.  The  liritish  gjvernment  made  an  ajjology 
to  Portugal  for  the  violation  of  theii'  neutrality,  and  indemnity 
for  the  loss  of  property  sustained  by  the  taring  of  the  British 
warships,  but  refused  to  pay  for  the  burning  of  the  Arm- 
strong, for  which  Portugal  was  responsible  to  the  United 
States  fo:  not  having,  as  a  neutral  power,  protected  the 
Armstrong. 

The  Briti jh  government  contended  that  the  American  biig 
firnt  tired  into  the  British  boats,  which  were  merely  recon- 
noitering,  without  any  cause  or  provocation  I 

After  yv3ars  of  fruitless  efforts  to  obtain  any  satisfaction 
from  Portugal,  that  goveinrnent,  in  1843,  wholly  denied  its 
liability,  and  boldly  declared  that  the  Americans  had  first 
violated  the  neutrality  of  their  port ! 

This  government,  under  Van  Buren's  administration,  then 
abandoned  the  claim,  on  the  ground   that  "argument  and 


Wi" 


CASE   OF    IJUKJ    (iENEUAL   AUM8TU0NU. 


66 


ifMportiuiity  had  btv^n  exluiusted,  and  the  ciicuinstaiicus  did 
not  warrant  it  in  having  rocouiise  to  any  other  weapons." 

Mr.  Sam  C.  Ueid,  Jr.,  who  was  then  proseentin*,'  thin  (;hiim 
in  behalf  of  liis  father,  jiiid  the  owners,  otHeers,  and  crew  of 
the  hrig,  proeured  its  revival  in  1845,  under  Mr.  Polk's  ad- 
ministration. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  the  reade,"  to  give  the  following 
coincidence  in  relation  to  this  claim.  During  the  war  with 
Mexico  Mr.  Keid  was  attached  to  ('aptain  Ben  McCuUoeh's 
scouting  eom[)any  of  the  celebrated  Jack  Hays'  rtjgiment  of 
Texas  l{angers.  In  August,  1840,  the  army  of  (leneral 
Taylor  was  on  its  march  from  Comargo  to  Monterey.  Mr. 
Ileid  had  been  sent  with  a  des[)atch  from  the  front  to  (leneral 
Taylor,  and  after  some  friendly  conversation,  in  taking  his 
leave,  Mr.  Reid  remarked,  "  Well,  General,  we  may  never 
meet  again,  but  I  think  I  know  the  popular  pulse  of  our 
[)eoi)le  well  enough  to  predict  that,  if  you  win  the  battle  of 
Mont(!i'ey,  you  will  become  President  of  the  United  States  !  " 
The  (Jenend  laughed,  and  expressing  his  incredulity,  said,  as 
Mr.  Reid  was  mounting  his  i.-"rL;e,  "  Reid,  when  I  get  to  be 
President  your  father  shall  have  his  claim  against  Portugal." 
"Good,"  replied  Reid,  "  I'll  hold  you  to  it." 

General  Taylor  became  President,  and  kept  his  word.  He 
instructed  Mr.  John  M.  Clayton,  Secretary  of  State  in  1849, 
to  renew  this  claim  against  Portugal.  That  government, 
backed  up  by  England,  refused  to  pay  the  claim,  but  urged 
tliat  it  be  submitted  to  a  third  power  for  arbitration.  Mr. 
Clayton  declined  to  arbitrate  so  just  a  claim,  and  pledged  the 
national  honor  never  to  consent  to  submit  to  so  liumiliating  a 
proposition. 

Mr.  Jas.  B.  Clay,  our  minister  at  Lisbon,  so-  of  Henry 
Clay,  was  then  instructed  to  make  a  perem.ptoi'  lemand  on 
Portugal,  and  our  Mediterranean  squadron  proceeded,  in  July, 
1850,  up  the  river  Tagus  to  Lisbon  to  receive  the  ultimatum. 


h 


1    s 


i  '! 


'  I '.'I 


?  '•■;  i 


66 


CASE   OF   BRIG   GENEEAL   AEMSTEONG. 


ih  -I 


Portugal  positively  declined,  and  Mr.  Clay  took  his  passports 
and  left  for  the  United  States.  The  case  was  being  prepared 
to  submit  to  Congress  when  General  Taylor  died,  on  the 
ninth  of  July,  1850. 

Mr.  Fillmore's  administration  succeeded.  The  proposition 
to  arbitrate  was  renewed,  and  accepted  by  this  government 
in  September,  1850,  notwithstanding  the  national  faith  was 
plighted  never  to  consent  to  tarnish  its  spotless  escutcheon. 
Louis  Napoleon,  President  of  the  French  republic,  was  chosen 
arbiter,  under  a  treaty  which  excluded  the  important  testi- 
mony of  the  claimants.  In  1853,  when  Louis  Napoleon  had 
become  Emperor,  he  decided  the  case  in  favor  of  Portugal 
and  England,  in  violation  of  the  treaty. 

In  1854,  an  appeal  Avas  made  to  Congress ;  unanimous  re- 
ports were  made  in  favor  of  the  claim ;  it  passed  the  Senate 
twice,  and  was  lost  in  the  House  the  last  time  for  the  want 
of  two  of  a  quorum !  In  the  debate  in  the  Senate,  in  Jan- 
uary, 1855,  Senator  James  A.  Bayard,  in  referring  to  Louis 
Napoleon's  decision,  said : 

"  Well,  sir,  looking  on  that  decision  as  an  atrocity  through- 
out, unsustainable  by  any  known  principle  of  law,  but  a  per- 
version of  facts  from  beginning  to  end,  I  cannot  believe  that 
it  would  have  been  made  if  our  government  had  not  rejected 
the  right  of  the  claimant  to  be  heard  by  his  counsel,  or  by  its 
own  agents,  before  the  authority  deputed  by  the  French  Em- 
peror to  examine  the  case,  I  tlierefore  conceive  that  this 
party  has  lost  a  dc  vision  in  this  case  from  what  I  term  the 
gross  neglect  of  our  government,  arising  from  a  misconstruc- 
tion of  a  treaty  which  does  not  preclude  the  right  to  be 
heard.  ...  In  this  country  no  man  who  wishes  to  be  heard 
in  defence  of  his  rights  should  be  refused  a  fair  opportunit}- 
to  be  he&  xl  in  vindication  of  those  riglits  when  they  are  to  be 
decided  upon.  It  is  on  this  ground  that  I  shall  vote  in  favor 
of  the  claim  as  an  obligation  on  the  government." 


tLv  If 


R.,Ki- 


CASE   OF   BRIG   GENERAL   ARiMSTRONG. 


57 


i 


The  case  was  finally  referred  to  the  Court  of  Claims,  which 
first  decided  in  favor  of  the  claimants,  then,  on  a  rehearing, 
it  reversed  its  decision,  but  admitted  the  equity  of  the  case. 
It  was  again  submitted  to  Congress  in  1858  ;  unanimous 
reports  were  made  in  its  favor,  but,  as  usual,  it  failed  for 
want  of  action. 

Twenty  years  had  elapsed.  All  the  original  claimants  had 
died.  They  had  sunk  into  unrequited  graves,  with  the  in- 
gratitude of  a  government  oblivious  to  their  heroism  and  the 
great  benefits  they  had  rendered  to  their  country,  for  their 
only  requiem. 

Their  claims  on  the  government  had  become  forgotten  in 
the  dark  labyrinth-^  of  the  past,  and  the  waves  of  time  had 
washed  over  them  as  a  long-abandoned  wreck. 

During  the  forty-fifth  Congress,  Mr.  Keid  under  these 
hopeless  circumstances,  renewed  this  claim  for  the  benefit  of 
the  heirs.  At  the  session  of  the  forty-sixth  Congress,  unan- 
imous reports  were  made  in  favor  of  the  bill,  which  had 
passed  the  Senate  and  lay  on  the  speaker's  table.  On  the 
last  day  of  the  session,  Hon.  Proctor  Knott,  of  Kentucky, 
stood  on  the  floor  of  the  House  from  noon  until  midnieht  in 
vain  endeavoring  to  get  the  recognition  of  the  Speaker,  and 
the  bill,  with  its  usual  fatality,  again  failed  to  pass. 

At  the  first  session  of  the  forty-seventh  Congress,  1882, 
unanimous  reports  were  again  made  in  favor  of  the  bill. 
The  Honorable  W.  W.  Rice,  of  Massachusetts,  that  able  and 
dic-tinguished  jurist  and  statesman,  from  the  Comiuittee  on 
Foreign  Affairs  of  the  House,  in  his  report  said : 

"  Senate  conunittees  and  House  committees  have  many  times 
reported  in  its  favor,  and  never  against  it,  and  yet  it  is  an 
unquestionable  fact  that  the  owners  of  the  privateer  General 
Armstrong,  burnt  by  a  British  squadron  in  the  neutral  waters 
of  Fayal,  in  September,  1814,  after  a  defence  by  her  crew 
which  won  the  admiration  of  the  world  and  the  gratitude  of 


J 


58 


CASE  OF  BRIG  GENERAL  ARMSTRONG, 


their  country,  have  never  been  paid  for  the  proi)eity  they 
then  lost,  and  their  representatives  now  stand  where  their 
fathers  stood,  at  the  doors  of  Congress,  still  waiting  for 
tardy  justice." 

At  the  same  session,  the  late  Hon.  George  H.  Pendleton, 
of  Ohio,  in  his  masterly  and  exhaustive  report  from  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  relations  of  the  Senate,  thus  alludes 
to  this  claim : 

"  The  event  out  of  which  the  claim  arose  is  most  creditable 
to  the  valor  and  skill  of  American  seamen,  and  in  its  remoter 
influences  evidently  secured  victory  to  the  American  arms  at 
New  Orleans.  The  accompanying  papers  will  give  the  nar- 
rative, whicli,  in  romantic  incidents,  almost  equals  a  tale  of 
the  imagination." 

The  bill  for  the  relief  of  the  captain,  owners,  officers  and 
crew  of  the  brig  General  Armstrong  finally  passed  at  this 
session,  April,  1882,  appropriating  the  sum  of  seventy 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  thirty-nine  dollars,  which  simply 
was  for  tlie  actual  loss  of  the  owners  for  the  brig,  and  for  the 
personal  loss  of  the  effects  of  the  officers  and  crew,  without 
interest  for  sixty-eight  years,  the  period  for  which  the 
claimants  had  been  awaiting  the  long  delayed  justice  of  this 
government,  and  which  had  been  demanded  from  the  govern- 
ment of  Portugal. 

It  is  a  remarkable  and  astonisliing  fact,  that  tlu-ough  the 
blunders  of  the  Department  of  State  in  illegally  distributing 
this  appropriation,  a  claim  is  still  pending,  unadjusted  at  tliis 
late  day,  for  a  portion  of  the  sum  thus  awarded. 

This  case  occupied  the  attention  of  all  Europe  at  the  time 
of  the  unjust  award  of  Louis  Napoleon,  which  was  afterward 
denounced  by  the  Baron  de  Cussy,  of  France,  in  his  great 
work  on  "  International  Law  and  the  Rights  of  Neutrals," 
in  which  this  case  is  cited  as  the  most  remarkable  of  the 
couKes  oelebre. 


111  it 


THE    FIGHT    OF   THii   "ARMSTROI.j"    PRIVATEER.       59 

The  Armstrong  Claim  has  been  given  a  world-wide  celeb- 
rity and  notoriety,  by  itb  having  been  dramatized  and  made 
the  foundation  foi-  the  comedy  of  "  The  Senator."  written  by 
David  D.  Lloyd  and  Sidney  liosenfeld,  and  in  which  Mr. 
Wra.  H.  Crane  has  achieved  such  distinguished  laurels. 

If  the  Press  of  the  United  States  will,  in  their  generosity 
and  patriotism,  advocate  the  raising  of  this  monument  to 
Captain  Reid,  by  tlie  contributions  of  The  Pp:ople  in  the 
purchase  of  this  pamphlet  to  effect  the  same,  there  is  no 
question  of  its  success. 

THE  FIGHT  OF  THE  -ARMSTRONG  "  PRIVATEER. 

BY   JAMES   JEFFREY'   ROCHE. 

(From  the  Ctntnry  Magazine,  June,  1892.) 

Tell  the  story  to  your  sons 

Of  the  gallant  days  of  yore, 
When  tlie  brig  of  seven  p-uns 
Fought  the  fleet  of  seven  score. 
From  the  set  of  sun  till  morn,  through  the  long  September 

nio-ht  — 
Ninety  men  against  two  thousand,  and  the  ninety  won  the 
light  — 
In  the  harbor  of  Fayal  the  Azore. 

Three  lofty  British  ships  came  a-sailing  to  Fayal : 
One  was  a  line-of-battle  shi[),  and  two  were  frigates  tall ; 
Nelson's  valiant  men  of  war,  l)rave  as  Britons  ever  ai'e. 
Manned  the  guns  they  served  so  well  at  ^Vboukir  and  Tra- 
falgar. 
Lord  Dundonald  and  his  fleet  at  Jamaica,  far  away, 
Waited  eager  for  their  coming,  fretted  sore  at  their  delay. 
There  was  work  for  men  of  mettle,  ere  the  shameful  peace 
was  made, 


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60       THE   FIGHT   OF   THE    "ARMSTRONG"   PRIVATEER. 

And   the   sword   was   overbalanced  in  the  sordid  scales  of 

trade  ; 
There  were  rebel  knaves  to  swing,  there  were  prisoners  to 

bring 
Home  in  fetters  to  old  England  for  the  glory  of  the  King ! 

At  the  setting  of  the  sun  and  the  ebbing  of  the  tide 

Came  the  great  ships,  one  by  one,  with  their  portals  opened 

wide, 
And  their  cannon  frowning  down  on  the  castle  and  the  town 
And  the  privateer  that  lay  close  inside ; 
Came  the  eighteen-gun  Carnation  and  the  Rota,  forty-four, 
7\nd  the  triple-decked  Plantagenet  an  admiral's  pennon  bore  ; 
And  the  privateer  grew  smaller  as  their  topmasts  towered 

taller, 
And  she  bent  her  springs:  and  anchored  by  the  castle  on  the 

shore- 
Spake  the  noble  Portuguese  to  the  stranger:  "  Have  no  fear; 
They  are  neutral  waters,  these,  and  your  sliip  is  sacred  here 
As  if  fifty  stout  armadas  stood  to  shelter  you  from  harm. 
For  the  honor  of  the  Briton  will  defend  you  from  his  arm." 
But  the  privateersman  said,  "  Well  we  know  the  Englislunen, 
And  their  faith  is  written  red  in  the  Dartmoor  slaughter-pen. 
Come  what  fortune  God  may  send,  we  will  £ght  them  to  the 

end. 
And  the  mercy  of  the  sharks  may  spare  us  then.' 


9) 


"Seize  the  pirate  where  she  lies!  "  cried  the  English  admiral ; 
"  If  the  Portuguese  protect  her,  all  the  worse  for  Portugal  I  " 
And  four  launches  at  his  bidding  leaped  impatient  for  the  fi'ay, 
Speeding  shoreward  where  the  Armstrong  grim  and  dark  and 

ready  lay. 
Twice  she  hailed  and  gave  them  warning ;  but  the  feeble 

menace  scorning, 


THE   FIGHT   OF   THE   "  ARMSTIJONG  "    PRIVATEER.       61 

Oil  they  came  in  splendid  silance  till  a  cable's  length  away — 
Tlien  the  Yankee  pivot  spoke ;  Pico's  thousand  echoes  woke, 
And  four  balHed,  beaten  launches  drifted  helpless  on  the  bay. 

Then  the  wrath  of  Lloyd  arose  till  the  lion  roared  again, 

And  he  called  out  all  his  launches,  and  he  called  live  hun- 
dred men ; 

And  he  gave  the  word,  "  No  quarter  I "  and  he  sent  them 
forth  to  smite. 

Heaven  help  the  foe  before  him  when  the  Briton  comes  in 
might ! 

Heaven  helped  the  little  Armstrong  in  her  hour  of  bitter  need  ; 

God  Almighty  nerved  the  heart  and  guided  well  the  arm  of 
Reid. 

Launches  to  port  and  starboard,  launches  forward  and  aft, 
Fourteen  launches  all  together  striking  the  little  craft. 
They  hacked  at  the  boarding  nettings,  they  swarmed  above 

the  rail ; 
But  the  Long  Tom  roared  from  his  pivot  and  the  grape-shot 

fell  like  hail ; 
Pike  and  pistol  and  !utlass,  and  hearts  that  knew  not  fear, 
Bulwarks  of  brawn  and  mettle,  guarded  the  privateer. 
And  ever  where  fight  was  fiercest  the  form  of  Reid  was  seen  ; 
Ever  where  foes  drew  nearest,  his  quick  sword  fell  between. 
Once  in  the  deadly  strife 
The  boarders'  leader  pressed 
Forward  of  all  the  rest, 
Challenging  life  for  life  ; 

But  ere  their  blades  had  crossed, 
A  dying  sailor  tossed 
His  pistol  to  Reid,  and  cried, 
"  Now  riddle  the  lubber's  hide  !  " 
But  the  privateersman  laughed  and  flung  the  weapon  aside, 


Mfll 


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62       THE   FIGHT   OF   THE    "  ARMSTHONG  "    PRIVATEER. 

And  he  drove  his  Uade  to  the  hilt,  and  the  foeman  gasped 

and  died. 
Then  the  boarders  took  to  their  launches,  laden  with  hurt 

and  dead, 
But  little  with  glory  burdened,  and  out  of  the  battle  fled. 


Now  the  tide  was  at  flood  again,  and  the  night  was  almost 

done, 
When  the  sloop- of-war  came  up  with  her  odds  of  two  to  one, 
And  she  opened  fire  ;  but  the  Armstrong  answered  her,  gun 

for  gun, 
And  the  gay  Carnation  wilted  in  half  an  hour  of  sun. 

Then  the  Armstrong,  looking  seaward,  saw  the  mighty  sev- 
enty-four, 
With  her  triple  tier  of  cannon,  drawing  slowly  to  the  shore. 
And  the  dauntless  captain  said:  "Take  our  wounded  and 

our  dead. 
Bear  them  tenderly  to  land,  for  the  Armstrong's  days  are 

o'er ; 
But  no  foe  shall  tread  her  deck,  and  no  flag  above  it  wave — 
To  the  ship  that  saved  our  honor  we  will  give  a  shipman's 

grave." 
So  they  did  as  he  commanded,  and  they  bore  their  mates  to 

land, 
With  the  figurehead  of  Armstrong  and  the  good  sword  in 

his  hand. 
Then   they   turned   the    Long   Tom   downward,   and    they 

pierced  her  oaken  side, 
And  they  cheered  her,  and  they  blessed  her,  and  they  sunk 

her  in  the  tide. 


Tell  the  story  to  your  sons, 

When  the  haughty  stranger  boasts 


THE   FIGHT    OF    THE    "ARMSTRONG 

Of  liis  mighty  ships  and  guns 
And  I  lie  muster  of  hi    hosts, 
How  the  word  of  (rod  was  witnessed  in  the  gallant  days  of 

yore, 

When  the  twenty  fled  from  one  ere  the  rising  of  the  sun. 
In  the  harbor  of  Fayal  the  Azore. 


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